A Long Island mother and her teenage daughter were killed - and two others critically injured - when their car was broadsided by a driver who ran a red light as they drove home from a high school football game, police said yesterday.
The tragedy occurred just blocks from the family home in Shirley around 9:15 p.m. Saturday - just minutes after the game at William Floyd HS.
Roseann Brooks, 45, had just entered the William Floyd Parkway driving a 1998 Toyota when Evelyn Asendorf, 59, of Mastic flew through a red light and slammed into her, cops said.
Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene and her 17-year-old daughter Jennifer - a high school senior who wanted to be a doctor - died a short time later at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.
Brooks' son, Bruce Jr., a high school athlete, was critically injured with severe head injuries. He was taken to University Medical Center at Stony Brook along with a school pal who was also in the car. The friend, who was not identified, was also in critical condition last night.
All of the injured and killed were wearing seat belts.
Asendorf, who was alone in her car, was only slightly injured.
"Bruce is fighting for his life," said Maureen Manning, Roseann Brooks' sister. She said Bruce's father - Bruce Sr. - was holding a vigil at his son's bedside in the intensive care unit last night.
"Roseann lived for her kids," Manning said. "She volunteered all her time at the high school and we used to joke she had a permanent job there."
Manning said that times were tough at the Brooks' home recently. Bruce Sr. has just lost his factory job after 27 years.
She said her sister Roseann, the oldest of seven siblings, had been looking for work and earlier on the day of the crash had found out she had been hired at a local Sam's Wholesale Club. She was to start her job this week.
"It's been a terrible ordeal. Its been rough times over here and now this," Manning said from the Brooks family home. "It's devastating for everyone."
