The Long Island community is rallying behind Sachem alum and teacher John Aebly, who was injured in a road rage accident. In a Facebook post, Sachem Alumni Association said Aebly’s friend initiated a GoFudnMe campaign after he sustained multiple injuries, including a crushed spinal cord in the road rage incident. The post read:
“Sachem alum and teacher John Aebly was injured in a road rage accident and needs your help. His friends have started a GoFundMe page to help support the family as Aebly recovers from spinal surgery. Our thoughts and prayers are with John and his family.”
According to multiple reports, the incident occurred on Saturday, October 19, in a parking lot near Route 109 and Edel Avenue. According to the Suffolk County Police Department, cited in PIX 11, Patrick Loughlin was arrested for repeatedly hitting John Aebly's car and then running him over Saturday evening.
While the victim was unnamed in the report, News Day identified John Aebly following Patrick Loughlin’s first court appearance on Monday, October 21, 2024.
Detailing the incident, police said on Saturday, two men engaged in a road rage incident before they pulled over into the parking lot of a strip mall located at 90 Route 109. The two men then got out of their cars and engaged in a verbal brawl before Loughlin got back into his car and rammed into Aebly’s vehicle multiple times. Loughlin then ran him over and fled the scene.
He was arrested on Sunday, October 20, and charged with assault and criminal mischief. Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
John Aebly GoFundMe raises over $50,000 in wake of road rage accident
The GoFundMe launched by New York resident Micahel Ragona said John Aebly, a teacher with the Sachem school district, was numb below the waist after his spinal cord was crushed in the accident. The fundraiser added:
“Recovery is going to be a long painful process. There are many things that they will need to do, including make their house wheelchair accessible. We are creating this gofundme account to help John and Jenn and his long-term care.”
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Aebly’s GoFundMe, with a goal to reach $200,000, has raised over $50,000 from over six hundred donors in less than a day. According to the Sachem Report, Aebly is also an assistant varsity wrestling coach at Sachem School.
The report said Aebly, a gifted athlete, graduated from Sachem in 1992 and was inducted into the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021.
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