Teen charged with DUI in double fatal crash

CENTRAL ISLIP Police say Taylor Nolte was driving a 1997 Lexus north on Wilson Boulevard in Central Islip at 4:45 a.m. when she lost control of the car near Apple Street and skidded into a pine tree, which was completely sheared off its base. The car then struck another tree, just south of Banana Street.

Police say speed and beer led to the carnage.

"Without a doubt one of the worst accidents I've seen since I've been on the job," Det. Sgt. Williams Rand said.

The crash was so severe that the Lexus disintegrated after it literally sliced through a pine tree.

Police say Nolte, 19, had been at the wheel with four of her friends, driving around and drinking all night.

It was a decision that turned deadly.

"The tree's been there for a long time. To pass through that tree and hit another one -- I can only guess at the speed, but it was extremely high rate of speed," Rand said.

Two of her passengers didn't stand a chance. Police say 18 year old Kelly Mallazzo died at the hospital. Kenyen Gaskins, 23, died on the scene, just around the corner from his family's house.

His pastor, Teresa Bryant, says Gaskins was pursuing a career in retail management.

"He was always positive minded. Very caring, very giving, very loving," Bryant said.

Police say when they arrived on the scene, Nolte's speech was slurred and her eyes glassy. At the hospital she consented to a blood test for an exact alcohol level, but they've already charged her for driving drunk.

The car may be gone, but evidence of the crash is still everywhere. A shoe. A board game. A teddy bear. Neighbor Devon McNair still can't believe his eyes.

"The way they was driving, no sober person could have done something like that," McNair said.

The Lexus was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Third Squad at 631-854-8352 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

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