By Holly Crocco
A senior from Haldane High School in Cold Spring was killed Dec. 15 in a crash in Cortlandt, and a junior was critically injured.
According to New York State Police, at about 8 p.m., Vladislav Saban, 17, of Cold Spring, was driving a 2012 Toyota Prius southbound on Route 9/Albany Post Road when he sideswiped a Subaru Forester while passing illegally on the right shoulder. He apparently lost control of the vehicle, striking a utility pole and then a tree.
Garrison and Continental Village fire departments, along with Peekskill EMS, extracted Saban from the vehicle and pronounced him deceased at the scene, according to NYSP.
During extraction, an unresponsive Theresa Timmons, 16, was found in the rear of the vehicle. She was transported to Westchester Medical Center in critical condition.
According to his obituary, Saban “reveled in the company of friends and family, leaving an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to share in his life. Vlad was known for his lively sense of humor and generosity to all.”
Since the crash, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Timmons’ family, at www.gofundme.com/f/theresa-timmons, where $59,000 had been raised as of Dec. 28.
“Theresa is a beautiful, loving and caring 16-year-old,” reads the post on the page. “Theresa, who works at Homestyle Dessert’s Bakery & Creamery in Peekskill and Cold Spring, is an amazing girl who is loved by all. The friends of Theresa’s started this GoFundMe and all donations will go directly to the family to help pay for extensive hospital bills.”
In a letter to the Haldane school community, Superintendent Phil Benante called the district a close-knit one. “I know that our collective heart hurts for the families that have been impacted by this tragedy,” he wrote.
The district’s Crisis Response Team met the following morning to develop a plan for supporting students and staff members, including a point-of-contact for the families involved, clinical staff available to grieving students, additional counseling staff on-hand in the days following, and more.
“I know that the Saban and Timmons families have appreciated the many messages of support they have received from our community over the past two days,” wrote Benante. “Please join me in keeping both families in our thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.”