Dana Marie Carlino could have very well been one of the victims in a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of four of her friends.
Carlino's friend Lauren Baruch hired a limousine to take her and a group of friends to tour wineries in Long Island on Saturday, PEOPLE reports.
The day before, Carlino texted Baruch to say she'd probably have to pass on the trip because she had work.
Carlino told PEOPLE,
She texted me to just meet her at the vineyard after work and I could take the limo back with them. The last thing she wrote me was that she loved me.
After work on Saturday, Carlino confirmed she was too tired to venture out for the day's activities.
Later on, the group left the vineyard. Their limo driver attempted to make a U-turn through a blinking traffic signal, but the limo was hit by a pickup truck that almost ripped the limo in half.
Four passengers, including Baruch, were killed, and the other four were severely injured.
To make matters worse, one of the injured passengers was allegedly a bride-to-be who planned on having the four victims as bridesmaids at her wedding.
Since the incident, Carlino has been reliving the day's events and questioning why she didn't call in sick to work the day of the trip.
She said,
It was going to be a super fun day, but for some reason I just didn't want to go. I now can't stop thinking what if I had.
Carlino remembers Baruch as being someone who frequently planned outings like that one and used sayings like, “Where's the sunshine? I need to chase it.”
The incident is still a blur for Carlino.
She added,
I'm still processing it. They had the rest of their amazing lives ahead of them. It could have been me. It should have been me.
The driver of the pickup truck, Steven Romeo, was charged with driving while intoxicated and is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Citations: It Could Have Been Me Friend of Women Killed in Limo Crash Backed Out of Long Island Party at the Last Minute (PEOPLE)
