BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Tony Bartolucci and his 14-year-old daughter Gianna are in guarded condition after a head-on collision with a suspected drunk driver on Christmas Eve. Friends and family were stunned.
“Kind of shocking, like it didn’t feel real at first," said Gianna's friend Jordan Thomas. "So I didn’t know what to feel. My little sister is really close to her so it was kind of surreal at the moment.”
Community members responded with an interfaith service in Brockport to show support for the family. The service featured songs performed by the Amadeus Youth Chorale that Gianna once sang with.
“A lot of people know them," said Laurie Camman of the Amadeus Youth Chorale It’s been very difficult. "And the first thing that came to mind was singers saying they didn’t know what to do. So we thought we’re going to get the kids together, and do a little service. And hopefully, kind of bring everybody up tonight and have them feel a little better when they leave.”
Tony Bartolucci is the pastor of the Clarkson Community Church. The accident happened on Redman Road in Clarkson. Officials say the Bartoluccis were hit by a drunk driver who is in the country illegally. Their car burst into flames and they were rescued by witnesses. The suspect, Efrain Lopez-Contreras , is in jail on charges of DWI.
Witnesses who helped pull Tony and Gianna Bartolucci from the wreckage told deputies that Lopez-Contreras ran from the scene of the crash. He was later found by deputies hiding in a ditch. Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies allege he was driving drunk. Deputies said Lopez-Contreras is an undocumented immigrant who had been previously deported.
But community members are trying to focus on the positive and hope their prayers will help everyone heal.
“The community got behind it, and we had a packed house as you saw." said Darla Bair, founder of the Amadeus Youth Chorale and pastor for the service. "All for the love of the Bartolucci family and to support them and let them know we are here. Every step of the way we’re here.”