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Teen Tragedy: Mourners Gather for Bella Trezza, Lost in West Babylon Crash

Published 1 day ago3 minute read
Pelumi Ilesanmi
Pelumi Ilesanmi
Teen Tragedy: Mourners Gather for Bella Trezza, Lost in West Babylon Crash

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Friday at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church in West Babylon to attend the funeral Mass for Bella Trezza, a 17-year-old Babylon high school student. Bella tragically died from injuries sustained in a car crash on September 21, which also claimed the lives of two other individuals and seriously injured three. The packed pews reflected the deep impact Bella had on her community.

Father David Atanasio, recalling his biweekly visits with Bella over coffee and Cheetos since her freshman year at West Islip’s St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, described her as sassy, stubborn, and courageous. He noted her dedication to finding and desiring peace, and her strength in seeking help from trusted individuals. Bella, he emphasized, exuded joy and was a cherished friend to many young people present at the service. Theresa Restivo, a relative, fondly remembered Bella as a "little rock star" and an exemplary daughter, stating, "She shined in every way possible."

The fatal car crash occurred on the morning of September 25, around 1 a.m., as Bella was driving home after picking up her brother and friends from a party. Her 2025 Kia Seltos SUV was struck by a 2017 Kia sedan that failed to stop at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon, according to police reports. The collision resulted in the deaths of the sedan's driver, Michael Desmond, 33, of Lindenhurst, and Riley Goot, a recent graduate of West Babylon High School and a passenger in Bella's Seltos. Goot's funeral had been held the previous week.

Bella’s brother, Austin Trezza, 18, also a recent West Babylon High graduate and a volunteer firefighter, was severely injured in the crash. He was pulled from the wreckage by his fellow firefighters and transported to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for multiple surgeries. Newsday previously reported that he was on the path to recovery, though a Suffolk police spokeswoman and a hospital spokesman offered no new information on the injured parties' conditions on Friday.

In an "act of grace," Bella's family made the profound decision to donate her organs while she was hospitalized at Good Samaritan. Leonard Achan, president of LiveOnNY, the Long Island City-based nonprofit that facilitates organ donation, confirmed that this selfless act is expected to save three lives. Following the funeral Mass, pallbearers wheeled Bella’s coffin out of the church, with young mourners, some wearing shirts bearing their school’s SJB initials, following alongside their parents. A convoy of vehicles then formed for the journey to St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, where Bella was laid to rest.

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