Last Saturday, five people were killed in a crash on Long Island, New York, with one of the victims being former Penn men’s lacrosse captain James Farrell.
"Our hearts are broken following the news out of Long Island this weekend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Farrell family. James was a captain during the 2018 season for us," the Penn men’s lacrosse team tweeted.
Farrell competed in 50 games over the course of his four-year Quaker career, playing at midfield. Through those four years, Farrell contributed 11 points in addition to 57 groundballs.
Prior to arriving at Penn, Farrell was a captain of his high school's lacrosse team, lettering three times in the sport in addition to three times in football and two times in basketball. He also did four years of men's chorus while at Manhasset Secondary School.
The crash occurred around 11:19 p.m. that night on Montauk Highway. According to authorities, 22-year-old Justin Mendez was driving a Nissan Maxima, veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into a Toyota Prius that was being used as an Uber with five people inside.
Farrell was in the Uber, which included three other victims. Those victims were 32-year-old driver Farhan Zahid, 20-year-old brother of James Farrell, Michael Farrell, and 25-year-old Ryan Kiess.
The funeral service was held on Friday, July 30, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church.
"The Penn Athletics community is heartbroken and saddened by this tragic loss. Our thoughts remain with the Farrell family and everyone who knew James during this incredibly difficult time,” Penn Athletics said in a statement to WPVI-TV Action News Philadelphia. “James left an indelible mark on Penn lacrosse as a captain and leader on our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and he will be truly missed."
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