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Mother of Dead Student Will Speak at His School About Drinking

Sadiki Young's mother, Rosemarie Newman, vows, "His name will not be forgotten."

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RALEIGH, N.C. — On the day when five people were arrested on charges they contributed to an accident that killed a Wakefield High School student, his mother spoke about her son's death, the events leading up to the deadly crash, the arrests made Friday and how she plans to make a difference.

Sadiki Young's mother, Rosemarie Newman, said she remembers a bright smile and a bold personality. She vows, "His name will not be forgotten."

Young, 18, died Jan. 13 after the car in which he was riding in went off Wakefield Plantation Drive and tumbled down an embankment. The 18-year-old driver is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drunken driving.

Five teenagers and an adult woman were arrested Friday on various charges involving the teens purchasing and drinking alcohol.

Police have said that one of the five teenagers, Dylan Caldwell, 17, is accused of picking up a third teen who was in the car with Young and driving off without calling 911.

“How he was left unattended when someone needed to call for help—it makes me ill. It's something I'll relive the rest of my life," Newman said.

She plans to speak to Wakefield High Students later this month—with First Lady Mary Easley— at an alcohol-awareness event.

"I don't want another parent, another mother…. I wake up every morning and I open my eyes and that is what greets my day every day—the loss of my son and—I think that will happen for the rest of my life," Newman said.


Easley and Newman will speak at Wakefield High on March 19. Sadiki Young's family is also working with the school's music department to set-up a scholarship in his name.

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