Before he died tragically in a head-on collision Saturday night, Bartolone Miguel, 32, of Peconic, lived a meaningful life that earned him the respect and deep friendship of his peers and colleagues, they said Tuesday.
According to Southold Town police, John Costello, 71, of Greenport was heading eastbound in his 2008 Chevy pickup when he crossed the double yellow line, entered the oncoming lane of traffic and crashed into a 2006 Honda driven by Oseas Manell Ramirez, 22, of Peconic at about 6:54 p.m. Saturday.
Miguel, a passenger in the Honda, succumbed to his injuries Saturday night at Eastern Long Island Hospital, police said.. Ramirez was treated at ELIH and released.
Speaking of their colleague, employees at the Pellegrini Winery in Cutchogue, where Miguel worked, found their voices filling with tears on Tuesday.
Zander Hargrave, winemaker at Pellegrini, said while he’s only know Miguel since August, he is greatly impacted by the tragedy that took his life. “It’s a tragic loss for his family, and for his friends, and for this whole community,” Hargrave said. “He was a leader in the community, and he was a leader here at the vineyard.”
As crew chief, Hargrave said Miguel was “incredibly competent, highly intelligent, really generous of heart, and strong. I would joke with him that he was like a machine. We worked through the harvest and I saw him drive tractors and operate all the equipment. He could lift logs that weighed about 40 lbs. each as if they weighed a pound. He would unload 250 logs like it was nothing.”
His voice filled with emotion, Hargrave added that Miguel’s life was rich with meaning. “He was really kind-hearted, generous of heart and totally capable, strong, skilled, a great guy and a great man. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him.”
Miguel’s focus, he said, was on providing for his wife and young son and working as hard as he could to support them. The family, he said, has asked that no funeral services be held; a collection has been commenced to help send his body home to Guatemala to his heartbroken family for burial. Donations can be sent to Sister Margaret Smyth at the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, 220 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead, 11901.
Hargrave noted the close bond that Miguel and Ramirez shared. “Oseas lost his best friend,” he said. “He’s devastated. Those two were inseparable. They would go out to dinner, and he loved soccer. He was a great friend. He was just such a good man.”
“It’s a big tragedy,” added one manager who asked not to be named. “We was a very kind and thoughtful man, a quiet type of guy. He always thought about the other workers, wanted to help them out.”
Miguel, who began working at Pelligrini eight years ago, worked diligently to raise money to send home to Guatemala to his wife and son, 12, he said.
“Working in the vineyards, or any farm, for that matter, is so much work,” his colleague said. “We’re working long hours, seven days a week during the summer — but he always stepped up, always. If there was work, even on a Sunday, he’d say ‘No problem,'” Miguel’s manager said. “I just really feel for his family.”
Miguel, he agreed, was extremely close to Ramirez, who was in the car at the time of the fatal crash. “They were best friends,” he said. Ramirez, he said, “is still hurting, and shaken, but I’m hopeful he’l be okay.”
Reflecting on Miguel and the young son he left behind, his manager’s voice filled with tears. “He was a quiet and gentle guy.”
According to Sister Margaret of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, some of Miguel’s family members who live locally came to her Monday for help; his mamager also came with his widow to try and help. “He was a very respected employee,” Sister Margaret said.
Now, she said, his family is struggling to send his body home for burial to Guatemala. “We always need funds,” Sister Margaret said.
Meanwhile, the driver charged with DWI after the crash, Costello,, remains hospitalized at Stony Brook University Hospital in “fair” condition, according to Melissa Weir, director of hospital media relations.
Costello was able to post $250 bail while still in the hospital, police said.
Costello was found to be intoxicated, arrested, and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, police said. He was transported to ELIH and then taken by ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital, according to a police press release.
Investigations by Southold police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office continue, police said.
Costello is the owner of Costello Marine Contracting in Greenport, police confirmed Sunday; he is also a former Greenport Village Trustee.
Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said Costello was being treated for “non-life-threatening” injuries.
While it was raining heavily at the time of the accident, Flatley said it has not yet been determined if the weather was a factor in the crash.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
