Witnesses say Shayne Coluccio was “visibly intoxicated” at a house party just before the 16-year-old was struck by a tractor trailer and severely injured, according to court documents.
Charges filed against two Selkirk residents draw on accounts from partygoers interviewed by police. According to court documents, Coluccio and a friend were riding bikes on the evening of Wednesday, July 18, when a peer told them of a party taking place at 648 Elm Ave. They followed a group of teens to the house where witnesses said a small gathering of 20 people drinking and smoking marijuana turned into a party of more than 70 people. Another statement estimated 110 people had been in attendance.
Coluccio was said to have drank one 40-once can of beer before he left the party with several friends before 11 p.m. They were stopped by police for fooling around in the road, and one of the friends said in a statement that he turned around to find Coluccio gone.
Soon after, the teen was struck by a truck while trying to cross intersection of Elm Avenue and Creble Road on his bicycle. Police said Coluccio failed to yield to the right of way and was not wearing a helmet.
Deputy Bethlehem Police Chief Timothy Beebe said the teen’s bicycle hit the trailer’s axle and he was run over by one of the axles. He underwent a 10-hour surgery that night, and one more the next day. Beebe said at the time it was impossible to determine if Coluccio was under the influence through toxicology because he lost so much blood and had to receive multiple transfusions.
Police responding to the scene of the accident then witnessed groups of teens leaving Elm Avenue, began conducting interviews and were pointed in the direction of where the party took place. Beebe said there was “an unusual amount of cooperation among partygoers with police.”
Officers entered the home and found marijuana with smoking paraphernalia visible, along with empty alcohol containers, police said. Brett Belleville, 21, and Mike Anthony Crisafulli, 17, both living at the same address on Elm Avenue in Selkirk, were said to be uncooperative, so a search warrant was obtained.
Police said they found 20 pipes and other devices for smoking marijuana in the home containing marijuana residue, 3.4 grams of marijuana, two grinders, two street signs and a pellet gun.
Later in the night, Beebe said the two men turned themselves in. They were charged with unlawfully dealing with a child, acting in a manner injurious to a child and possession of marijuana. All the charges are misdemeanors.
According to statements taken from eight people who attended the party ranging in age from 14 to 16 years old, Coluccio was “drunk” before leaving the party. He then allegedly got into a fight with a friend after Coluccio urinated on his leg.
Witnesses said Belleville had brought a case of beer, while the rest was brought by partygoers. Marijuana was witnessed being rolled into “dutches,” or a cigarillo-type joint, on the dining room table, according to witness statements.
After another fight broke out, Crisafulli ended the party because “he said his mom was coming home,” said one witness.
“My friend and I were sitting out front and Shayne (Coluccio) stumbled toward us,” said a witness in a statement to police. “My friend asked if he was OK and he continued to walk toward me and fall into me.”
One partygoer told police a girl had left the party by ambulance.
Coluccio is now out of critical condition but will still need to undergo surgery and need extensive rehabilitation, according to his aunt Karen Wilks.
“We don’t know what the future will hold,” she said. “He won’t be able to go to school and he will need to learn to walk all over again.”
Wilks said Coluccio’s mother is a single mom who has not left her son’s bedside. She was awoken in the middle of the night by police saying her son was in an accident. He was supposed to be a senior at Bethlehem Central High School in the coming year.
“I personally do not know if he was drinking,” said Wilks. “He doesn’t remember anything. … We all have made poor choices in our life, but does that mean he deserves what he got? Absolutely not. It could be any one of our children lying in that hospital bed. Life will never be the same for him after this.”
As of Friday, July 27, Wilks said Coluccio still had a lacerated kidney and various broken bones. It is not known when he will leave the hospital.
Wilks has now established a benefit fund through Trustco Bank in her nephew’s name. She said the family does have insurance, but other expenses could be astronomical for the family. She said Coluccio will need a wheelchair and may need to be home schooled in the fall after he is sent home
Wilks said the police are continuing to investigate the incident.
“The parents should be held accountable to some degree,” she said.
Those looking to donate to Coluccio’s recovery fund can do so at any Trustco Bank.
