forgive me if this has been posted already.


5 TEENS BUSTED IN TURKEY 'PRANK' THAT KO'D DRIVER

Fri Nov 19, 2:29 AM ET

By KIERAN CROWLEY, SELIM ALGAR and DAN MANGAN

Five Long Island teens who nearly killed a woman in a prank gone bad were arrested yesterday for throwing a 20-pound turkey through her windshield as she drove past their car , Suffolk County cops said.

One of the teens, Ryan Cushing, 18, of Huntington — who has a prior arrest for boisterous behavior — allegedly hurled the bird at a car being driven by the 44-year-old Lake Ronkonkoma woman, who was driving with a male friend, cops said.

Cushing turned himself in with his lawyer yesterday, according to Suffolk County Detective Sgt. William Lamb.

"I guess it was his idea of a prank that went totally wrong and became a violent assault," Lamb said.

The dangerous stunt, which occurred early Saturday, enraged the family and friends of the victim, whose name has been withheld.

"I thought it was crazy," her brother-in-law told The Post. "I mean, kicks are kicks. But when you start going after human life, and you don't have any concern for it, it's ridiculous."

Cushing was charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and forgery, for allegedly buying the turkey with a stolen credit card.

Also arrested were Jack Crutone, 18, Steven Manzolina, 17, and Amanda McDonald, 17, all of Seldin, who were charged with possession of stolen property.

Rachel MacDonald, 17, of Centereach, was also charged with possession of property and forgery.

Manzolina's father, Michael, said he wasn't sure what happened to his son, but told The Post, "He was not involved in the prank itself."

Police say they expect more arrests in the case.

The teens would often go to area shopping centers, Lamb said. They apparently did not buy the turkey intending to use it for a prank, and even bought a roasting pan to cook it, Lamb said.

But Cushing has been involved in pranks before, police sources said. He once was arrested for throwing eggs at a home.

The woman hit by the turkey is in critical condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, relatives said. She suffered "bleeding in her brain," as well as "a broken nose, broken cheekbone, broken jaw and possible damage to one of her eye sockets," the brother-in-law said.

The victim, who works at a Long Island collections agency, was being fed through a tube and was in a medically induced coma at the hospital before undergoing a seven-hour operation.

"She was the baby of seven," said the victim's tearful sister. "We don't know until she awakens what kind of cognitive damage has been done. But now we're just praying . . . that my sister wakes up the same way she was."

The incident occurred when the woman was driving on Portion Road with her 40-year-old friend after they attended a music event. Another car containing several young people approached from the opposite direction.

Cushing allegedly leaned out of the back side window and hurled the turkey, cops said. It crashed through the woman's windshield, hitting the steering wheel with enough force to bend it back 10 inches, and then slamming into her face, investigators said.

The woman was knocked unconscious, but her foot remained on the gas pedal and kept the car moving. Her friend grabbed the steering wheel and was able to step on the brake.

"He apparently prevented a much more serious accident," said Kenneth Rau, Chief of Detectives of Suffolk County Police.

Emergency workers cut open the Hyundai and extracted the woman and man, and found the turkey in the back seat.

The passenger later told his parents that "the turkey just came flying in. They never saw it coming," said the man's father.

"What is this world coming to? I can't believe it," he said.

Police are investigating whether the incident is linked to another on Friday night, when someone broke into a car parked at the Island 16 movie theaters in Holtsville and stole a credit card from a pocketbook, police said before yesterday's arrests.

The card later was used to buy food — including a fresh Shady Brook Farms turkey — from a Waldbaum's in Lake Ronkonkoma. The purchase was recorded by surveillance cameras.

Seven people appear in the surveillance videotape during the food purchase, Rau said.

http://news.yahoo.com/new...tkoddriver

too long..too drunk...read later

This is so sad....my best friend fell and hit his head three years ago (he had no outer wounds - we thought he was just passed out)....he had bleeding in his brain, was in a coma for 6 months and now will never be able to walk or talk again, even though he is 100% aware of what's going on (he communicates through using a board where we point to letters/words and loops "up" when we're pointing at the one he wants to use).... my heart goes out to this family and anyone who reads this should pray for her and her health...

ReturnOfDOOK said:

i don't know where these dumb ass kids think of stuff like this. it just doesn't make sense. i hope she comes out of it okay too.