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A car accident can happen to anyone. It can be caused by poorroad conditions, driver error or chance circumstances. An alcohol related crash is di�erent. An alcohol related crash occurs when the driver chooses to drink. When the driver chooses to drink, no one is safe—especially the young, the innocent, the child passenger.
This exhibit, through words and images, portrays children from New York State whose lives were put in danger by an adult’s choice to drink and drive. It focuses on fateful events in a forensic style. As you tour and re�ect, get to know the stories of the Taconic Parkway crash and Henry Hudson Parkway crash. The public’s reaction to these crashes and one father’s crusade changed the law. That law is Leandra Rosado’s legacy for all children in New York State. She, like all innocent victims of alcohol related crashes, had everything to live for, but the immortality of youth met a culture of the extreme and in one second, everything changed.
Brittany: “Mommy, please slow down!” Carmen: “You think this is fast?
Just wait until we get on the highway.”– Kayla Fernandez, Parents of victims furious to learn
that DWI mom mocked her own daughter’s pleas to be careful,NY Daily News, Kenny Porpora,
Mark Morales & Jonathan Lemire, 10.13.09
A Mother’s Fatal Decision 12:40 am
“[Leandra called her father] from the road Friday nighton her way to [Carmen] Huertas’ home,
asking if she could spend the weekend there(with friend Brittany Gonzalez, Carmen’s daughter.)
[Her father, Lenny Rosado,] said yes,as long as Leandra stopped back home in Chelsea Saturday
to get a change of clothes.The girls then spent Friday night at Huertas’ home,
painting one another’s nails,listening to music and singing karaoke.”
– Kid dies in ‘drunken’ car crash,Edmund DeMarche, Frank Rosario,Amber Sutherland & Larry Celona,
NY Post, 10.12.09
Slumber Party FunFriday, October 9, 2009
6:00 pm
12:45 am
Crash“The car started swerving back and forth,”
Yismel said at New York Hospital. I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ Then it �ipped over.
Gisele, Kayla and Leandra �ew out of the car. Their eyes were closed.
I got out of the car and went to my sister, [Gisele]. I held her and said, ‘If you can hear me, nod your head.’
I told her it would be OK; that help is on the way.” – Kid dies in ‘drunken’ car crash, Edmund DeMarche,
Frank Rosario, Amber Sutherland & Larry Celona, NY Post, 10.12.09
“I went to the party and there I met Carmen. We spoke for about 5 minutes.
The last thing Carmen said was, ‘Lenny don’t worry because your daughter is in good hands.’
Later I learned the kids’ party was on the �rst �oor, but Carmen went to the third �oor for the alcohol.”– Interview with Lenny Rosado, Leandra’s father,
400 West 17th St., New York City, 02.25.11 & 07.19.11
“In good hands.”7:15 pm
“Although Huertas had told friends she would spend only
two hours at the party,she starts drinking [cognac] and decides to stay longer.”
– Timeline of Henry Hudson Parkway tragedy,NY Daily News, 10.13.09
Carmen’s Plans Change9:30 pm
Saturday, October 10, 20096:00 pm
The Party Continues
“Leandra came back at 6 o’clock.Carmen dropped her o� here
because she needed a changed of clothes.Olga was here, her grandmother, and I was here.
She got her clothing and I took her back to Brittany’s father’s home
and the 18th birthday party for Brittany’s cousin,Corinna Gonzalez, at 20th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue.”
– Interview with Lenny Rosado, Leandra’s father,400 West 17th St., New York City, 02.25.11
& Timeline of Henry Hudson Parkway tragedy,NY Daily News, 10.13.09
8:00 pm Lenny Sees Leandra
for the Last Time
“I walked with my daughter and her friends from the party
because the girls wanted to go for pizza.She asked for �ve dollars and then as I was leaving
she asked for another �ve dollarsbecause her friend had no money for pizza.
She said, ‘I love you, Daddy,’and I said, ‘I love you too.’”
– Interview with Lenny Rosado, Leandra’s father,400 West 17th St., New York City, 02.25.11
Sunday, October 11, 200912:00 am
The Car Ride
Carmen Huertas places her daughter, Brittany Gonzalez,in her Mercury Sable along with
Leandra Rosado, Yismel Rosario, Yiselle Rosario,Kayla Fernandez, and Amanda Vasquez
and begins to drive up the West Side of Manhattanon the way to her Bronx home for a slumber party.
– Compiled from Bronx Woman Is Charged in Crash That Killed Girl, 11,
Simon Akam & Colin Moynihan, NY Times, 10.11.09
“Who thinks something’s gonna happen? Raise your hand. Who thinks we’re gonna get into an accident?” – Carmen Huertas
Rocco's Pizza Joint
Outside the Rosado’s apartment building W 20th St. Brittany and Leandra at the birthday party
Memorial at crash siteCrash scene
LEANDRA’S LEGACY
HENRY HUDSON PARKWAY, NY, NY CRASH TIMELINE | OCTOBER 11, 2009
First two photos courtesy of Denis Foley. Photo of Carmen Huertas courtesy of the Daily News, Copyright by Daily News, LP.Photo of Lenny Rosado courtesy of the Associated Press. Photo of Olga Rosado courtesy of Denis Foley.
Top row photos courtesy of The Guardian Angel School,Bottom row courtesy of The Rosado Family.
A Vibrant Child
“Lenny and Leandra came in the principal’s office at the Guardian Angel School for the first time. He began to register her and Leandra snapped her fingers and said, ‘This place is not for me’ and walked out of the building, leaving her father in front of the principal’s desk.”– Interview with Principal Maureen P. Mc Elduff, Guardian Angel School, New York, New York, 09.08.11
“She was vibrant. She wanted to take part in everything. Leandra loved speaking in front of class. I had Leandra in summer school. She wore her white Crocs everyday. Her father had bought them for her. The day before the 4th of July the Crocs were red, white and blue. I asked her, ‘What about the shoes?’ She replied, ‘Hello, the 4th of July? POP POP POP, fireworks?’ ” – Interview with Christie Perez, third grade teacher at Guardian Angel School, New York, New York, 09.08.11
Leandra participating in The High Line Portrait Project Leandra posing in the hall with �nger pointed Leandra posing for the camera
Guardian Angel School, Ms. Dobbs’ Grade 4 class picture (Leandra is seated in the front row, fourth from the left)
Guardian Angel School Class �eld trip to the Queen County Farm Museum, Glen Oaks (Leandra is kneeling in the front row, �rst on the left)
First two photos courtesy of the Rosado Family. Photo of Lenny courtesy of the Daily News, Copyright by Daily News, LP.
Leandra’s LawBecame O�cial Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
“I decided that I’m going to do what I have to do for my daughter.”– Interview with Lenny Rosado, Leandra’s father, 400 West 17th St., New York City, 07.19.11
“ ‘My daughter’s name and Leandra’s Law will save lives from here on,’ Rosado said,
tears in his eyes. In addition to making it a felony to drive drunk with a kid 15 or under
in the car, the law will also require ignition locks for any convicted drunk driver. The
Senate passed the legislation 58-0. The Assembly gave unanimous approval on Tuesday.
‘This is going to make a difference to save lives. I wish it didn’t happen the way it did,
but we turned a tragedy into a little bit of a positive.’”– Lenny Rosado, Leandra’s father, Leandra’s Law official: Driving drunk with child in car felony after death
of Leandra Rosado, 11, Kenneth Lovett, NY Daily News, 11.18.09
Leandra seated at table RIP Leandra design Lenny at funeral
Acknowledgments Special thanks to the following individuals for their support and dedication to this exhibit:Miguel Acevedo, Christie Acosta, Booker T. Brown, Denise Cashmere, NYS Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico, Det. Anthony DiCarlo, Senator Martin M. Dilan, Charles DeWeese, Barbara J. Fiala, Senator Charles J. Fuchillo, The Hance Family, Sharon Henderson, Father Fernando Hernandez, New York County Chief of Vehicular Crime Bureau ADA Jill Hoexter, Kings County DA Charles J. Hynes, Catalina Jaramillo, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelley, Dr. Ilona Lubman, Dominick Macherone, Principal Maureen P. McEldu�, Cathy Mahon, Barbara Medina, Bronx County Chief of Vehicular Crimes Bureau ADA Joseph A. McCormack, Governor David Paterson, Denny Peña, Christie Perez, Adele Roman, Daniel Rosado, Lenny Rosado, Leonardo Rosado, Olga Rosado, The Rosado Family, Gisselle Rosario, The Rosario Family, New York County ADA Christopher Ryan, Milagros Salas, Hon. Judge Charles Solomon, Angela Troisi, New York County DA Hon. Cyrus Vance Special thanks to the following institutions and organizations, without which this exhibit would not have been possible:AEA, Automovilistas Europeos Asociados, Bronx County District Attorney’s O�ce, Chief Vehicular Crimes Unit, DNAinfo, Design Function, Inc., El Diario/La Prensa (EDLP), The Guardian Angel School, M.A.D.D. (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving), National Highway Tra�c Safety Administration, NY Daily News, NYS DMV, New York City Police Department’s Accident, Investigation Squad and Highway Unit, New York City: Stop DWI Programs, New York County District Attorney’s O�ce, New York Post, New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, New York State Governor’s Tra�c Safety Committee, New York State Legislature, New York State Police, New York State STOP DWI Coordinator’s Association, New York State STOP DWI Foundation, New York Times, Newsday, The Research Foundation at the State University of New York
Recognition to the Lewis Henry Morgan Institute, SUNY-IT sta� and faculty, the creators of this exhibit: Kaitlin Altone, Francis Connors, Ilona Flores, Denis Foley, Mike Herman, Andrew Jackson, Bridget Kelly-Stein, Anna Martin, Marlyn Obendo-Foley, Felipe A. Oltramari, Ed Ostberg, Maria Sohn, Andrew Wolfe