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Long Island Cabs Offer Free Rides To Students On Prom Night

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- New figures show car crashes remain the top killer of teens – with alcohol frequently involved.

With prom season about to start, some Long Island cab companies – including ll Island Transportation Inc. and Ollie's Taxi & Airport Service -- are offering a helping hand. And as TV 10/55 Long Island Bureau Chief Richard Rose reported, doctors and police alike are endorsing it.

"Underage drinking is responsible for approximately 1,900 fatalities," said Dr. Barry Rosenthal, of the emergency room at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola.

Rosenthal said besides those killed, thousands more young people are rushed to emergency rooms each year – with the worst cases coming on prom nights gone wrong from drinking and driving.

He said has been there when a family has to identify a deceased child, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

"We see nothing worse than children and young adults killed in accidents and there is nothing more devastating than breaking that news to parents," Rosenthal said. "There was one just a couple of weeks ago, and if I could describe the wailing and the distress of the parents who came in to identify their teenager who died in the accident, it's indescribable."

"We see nothing worse than children and young adults killed in accidents," he said.

Long Island Cabs Offer Free Rides To Students On Prom Night

That is why physicians and police officers endorsed the idea of free taxi rides come prom night.

"If a teenager has had too much to drink at a prom, or is under the influence of a narcotic, we'll be happy to take them home free of charge," said Larry Blessinger of All Island Cab.

So far, half a dozen Nassau cab companies have signed on to provide the no-questions-asked service, pleasing teens preparing for prom night.

"Some kids, like, are too scared to, I guess, call their parents or someone for a ride, so they might get in it by themselves, and it's just asking for trouble," said Jenna Pareti, a Mineola High School senior.

Pat Brady is also preparing for his prom night, and said he and his pals have decided they will just rent a bus.

"Like 20 kids all chip in money – like $50 each, maybe a little more – to take us there and back from prom," Brady said. "No one's getting killed."

The cab companies' free prom night ride runs through June, with hopes that the season will be accident free.

Nassau County police said they will check limousines and party buses and set up sobriety checkpoints on prom nights.

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