A Community in Mourning: Levittown Remembers Lindsey Parke and Alexa Duryea
The Levittown community is grieving after a devastating crash in Hicksville late Friday night claimed the lives of two young women whose absence is already deeply felt. In the quiet hours after the sirens faded and the road was cleared, a heavy silence settled over the neighborhoods they once called home. It is the kind of silence that follows sudden loss—when words feel inadequate and reality feels unreal.
One of the victims was Lindsey Parke, just 19 years old, a proud and active member of the Levittown Fire Department. The other was her close friend, Alexa Duryea, also from Levittown. They were passengers in a BMW traveling west on Old Country Road when, for reasons still under investigation, the vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic, struck a tree, and then crashed into a nearby building. Both young women died from their injuries. The 23-year-old driver was transported to the hospital for treatment.
For Levittown, this was not just a tragic accident. It was a profound community loss.
Lindsey Parke was more than a name on a roster or a uniform in a firehouse locker. To those who served alongside her, she represented the future of the department—young, motivated, and deeply committed to helping others. At just 19, she had already found her calling in public service, and she carried that role with pride far beyond her years.
Friends and fellow firefighters remember Lindsey not only for her dedication during training and calls, but for the warmth she brought into the firehouse. She had a habit of showing up with homemade cupcakes and cookies, small gestures that spoke volumes about who she was. She understood that service wasn’t only about responding to emergencies—it was also about building family, lifting spirits, and making people feel valued.
“She was always smiling,” one colleague shared. “Even on hard days, Lindsey found a way to make the room feel lighter.”
Her passion for firefighting was genuine. She asked questions, wanted to learn, and took pride in wearing the uniform. For a department built on tradition, teamwork, and trust, Lindsey quickly became someone others counted on—not because she had to be, but because she wanted to be.
Alexa Duryea was equally cherished by those who knew her. Though less publicly known through service, her presence in the lives of family and friends was just as meaningful. She was remembered as kind, loyal, and deeply connected to her circle. To many, Alexa was the friend who listened, who showed up, who shared laughter and late-night conversations that now feel impossibly precious.
The two young women shared more than a ride that night. They shared roots in the same community, friendships that grew up on the same streets, and futures that were still unfolding. Their loss has rippled outward—through classrooms, family homes, firehouses, and workplaces—leaving behind questions no one is ready to answer.
In the days following the crash, tributes poured in. Flags were lowered. Black bunting appeared at the firehouse. Messages filled social media feeds, each one reflecting disbelief, heartbreak, and love. Parents hugged their children tighter. Friends replayed memories, searching for comfort in moments that now feel painfully distant.
For the Levittown Fire Department, the grief is especially heavy. Losing a member—particularly one so young—cuts deep. Firefighters are trained to face danger, to run toward crisis, to manage chaos. But there is no training for losing one of your own in a way that feels so sudden and senseless.
“Lindsey was family,” one firefighter said quietly. “And when you lose family, the whole house feels empty.”
Beyond the firehouse doors, families are facing the unimaginable. Parents are grieving daughters who should have had decades ahead of them. Siblings are adjusting to a world that feels permanently altered. Friends are learning how to carry loss at an age when life is supposed to feel wide open.
The crash has also reignited difficult conversations about road safety, youth, and the fragility of life. Old Country Road, familiar to so many, became the site of tragedy in an instant. What was once routine—a car ride late at night—turned into a moment that changed everything.
Yet amid the sorrow, the community is holding tight to what Lindsey and Alexa represented. Kindness. Friendship. Service. Joy in small moments. These are the legacies people are choosing to remember.
Lindsey’s cupcakes and cookies are being mentioned again and again—not because they were extraordinary, but because they were personal. They symbolized how she cared. How she showed love. How she made others feel seen. In remembering those small acts, people are finding a way to keep her spirit alive.
Alexa is being remembered through shared photos, stories of laughter, and memories of loyalty and warmth. Her life, though far too short, mattered deeply to those around her.
As Levittown mourns, there is a shared understanding that healing will take time. There will be moments when the weight feels unbearable, when reminders appear unexpectedly, when grief resurfaces without warning. But there is also a collective resolve to support one another—to show up, to listen, to honor the lives that were lost.
Two young women are gone, but they are not forgotten.
Lindsey Parke and Alexa Duryea will be remembered not for the way they died, but for the way they lived—for the smiles they shared, the kindness they offered, and the love they gave to their community.
In a town now wrapped in grief, their light remains.
