Signs honoring loved ones, warning about distracted driving pit family against town

Community support is growing for keeping signs promoting driver safety along Route 24 in Flanders — erected by a local family who lost two relatives in car accidents in 2014 — after a local civic group filed complaints about the signs.

The signs, both erected in July 2014, are on the Flanders Road property of Susan Tocci and warn against texting while driving and driving under the influence. One side reads "Save a Life. DO NOT TEXT & DRIVE," in memory of Tocci’s sister, Barbara Ann Tocci, of Hampton Bays, who died Jan. 16, 2014. Tocci’s car was struck by a utility vehicle driven by a PSEG Long Island worker who was texting his girlfriend while driving, according to police reports. She was 47.

Susan Tocci, 52, of Flanders, told Newsday that with news reports of motor vehicle accidents related to drinking or texting seemingly becoming more frequent, she feels the signs are more important than ever to display.

"All my family wants to do is to try to send out this message to prevent somebody else’s family from going through the same thing," Tocci said.

The sign’s other side is dedicated to Hayley Riggins, the fiancée of Barbara Tocci’s oldest son, Thomas Podlas. Riggins was 27 when she died in April 2014 in California after a driver under the influence of drugs ran a red light and struck her motorcycle, police reports at the time stated. Riggins left behind Podlas and the couple’s daughter, Kadence Podlas, now 8 years old.

"Kadence will grow up WITHOUT HER MOTHER. DO NOT DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE," the sign reads.

Tocci said Southampton code enforcement officers told her in April and June that the signs violate several parts of the town’s code regulating signs in residential areas and had to be taken down. Tocci said the news brought her great-niece Kadence to tears.

"Kadence was crying hysterically," Tocci said. "For them to focus and waste the resources of code enforcement on this sign is mind-boggling."

Documents Tocci obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and provided to Newsday show the complaints came from Lorraine Paceleo, vice president of the Bay View Pines Civic & Taxpayers Association, a group whose membership extends into Flanders.

Code enforcement officials directed comment to Town Attorney James M. Burke. Burke told Newsday that while Paceleo had registered the complaints, they were made on behalf of the Bay View Pines group.

A statement the civic group sent to Newsday confirmed that its code committee registered the complaints with the town because the group said the signs were in violation of town code, and had filed complaints about the signs in 2014.

"The message of the signs is not something (the civic group) object to and we offer sincere sympathy to the Tocci/Kadence family for their losses," the statement reads.

A Change.org petition started weeks ago asking people to support keeping the signs up had garnered 3,810 signatures as of Tuesday.

Tocci said she was moved by the outpouring of support she has seen and heard from people supporting the signs honoring her family.

"I get messages from people who see the signs and they say when they see it, they’re reminded not to text and drive," Tocci said. "I get these constantly and I don’t know half of these people, but maybe they’ve lost a loved one because of that. I think it’s an important message."