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The Long Island community is rallying around the family of the William Floyd High School basketball coach who died in a car wreck on Sunrise Highway in Shirley last Friday.
A GoFundMe page created in Darrell Sumpter’s honor has garnered hundreds of donations totaling more than $57,000 as of noon on Monday. The funds will help cover funeral costs for the grandfather and provide financial assistance for his children and widow, Susan Sumpter, who was injured in the car accident.
Sumpter, 51, a nursing station clerk at Stony Brook University Hospital, was killed when his Cadillac collided with a utility truck in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway on Dec. 13. The crash caused both vehicles to overturn.
Susan Sumpter, 48, who was a passenger in the car her husband was driving, and the driver of the other vehicle, Jason Troccoli, 52, of Lake Ronkonkoma, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The loss of Sumpter, who served as an assistant coach with the William Floyd boys varsity basketball team since 2015 and spent years volunteering in youth sports, has sent shockwaves across the community. Countless individuals have spoken out about the positive impact Sumpter had on their lives.
“He was a great man and a mentor to my son,” Nichole Russo wrote in a message of condolence shared on the fundraiser page. “He will be missed!”
William Floyd School District officials said grief and crisis counselors have been available to students and staff since Friday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Sumpter’s family, friends and all of the student-athletes who loved and cared for him,” the district said in a statement.
Top photos: Darrell Sumpter (GoFundMe) and Sumpter, 51, with his wife and children (Facebook).
