Police are still looking for the driver of a dark colored passenger vehicle that struck 14-year-old Jessica Savarese on Friday night, May 7 on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square. The vehicle is being described as a late 1980s to early 1990s Ford passenger vehicle, which, police say, sustained significant front end damage.

According to police, at 10:54 p.m. on that night, Savarese, a resident of West Hemptead and a freshman at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, was crossing Hempstead Turnpike in a south to north direction.

Police say Savarese was struck by a vehicle traveling westbound on Hempstead Turnpike near the intersection of Claflin Boulevard. Savarese was taken to Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola where she was pronounced dead at 11:17 p.m.

As of Tuesday, May 11, the driver of the vehicle has yet to come forward as police continue to ask the public for help in finding the vehicle.

Savarese is remembered fondly by Sewanhaka Central High School Superintendent Dr. George Goldstein. "Jessica gave everyone instant love and affection," he said. "I have 8,500 children in the district, but I do remember meeting Jessica. She was funny. She was cute. She was one of the girls. When I looked in her eyes, I saw nothing but gentleness and kindness in her. She will be missed. Everybody around her, she made welcome, she made happy."

For H. Frank Carey High School, three students have died in two weeks. Just last month, students Jose Hernandez and Fermin Bravo were killed in an motor vehicle accident on Hempstead Turnpike.

In Dr. Goldstein's 19 years as superintendent, 17 students have been killed. He said it is painful for the families and upsetting to see parents have to bury a child.

Dr. Goldstein brought up the issue of safety on Hempstead Turnpike. "When will the powers that be put some type of barriers or redesign [the turnpike] or put cops out there and start ticketing people going 50, 60 and 70 mile per hour? More people are going to die. The stretch from Elmont Road to Nassau Boulevard is death highway," he said.

Police ask anyone with information about the accident that claimed the life of Jessica Savarese to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.