3 friends in deadly crash worked at same restaurant

*Above video: Loved ones, co-workers speak out about their friends involved in crash*

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (WJW) — All of the friends involved in a tragic ride crash after a concert are from the same Chagrin Falls restaurant where co-workers and customers are dealing with heartbreak.

The crash killed 26-year-old Morgan Ehrenbeit and left her boyfriend Michael Rosenbaum with serious injuries. Their friend Luke Stempuzis is still in a Buffalo trauma center.

“Morgan had a smile, you know, that could just light up a room,” said M Italian manager Ryan Cesarow.

“When we heard about the tragedy with Morgan’s loss and Luke and Michael, it broke everybody up in the M Italian family,” said customer Pete Billington.

“Morgan was the baby of five siblings, we consider her the most special of all of us,” Morgan’s sister, Samantha Bidwell, told Fox 8 News.

The group of friends involved in the crash are from Chagrin Falls, Mentor and Chesterland.

All three close-knit friends were in a Lyft rideshare car that was struck by a speeding driver, with no headlights, no license and no insurance, according to authorities.

*The above video of the Buffalo rideshare crash is courtesy of WVIB TV*

The 27-year-old man who was driving the rideshare, Nasir Musazada, was also killed in the Buffalo crash, police said.

The friends had just left a concert in Buffalo around midnight on March 21 when their car was hit by a 23-year-old man, who police said, “was driving at a high rate of speed with no headlights… without insurance or a license.”

Nicole, who asked not use her last name, told Fox 8 News Thursday that her close friend, 26-year-old, Morgan Ehrenbeit, was killed in the crash. Ehrenbeit is a 2015 graduate from Chagrin Falls High School and a 2019 graduate of Ohio University, she said.

Nicole said her brother-in-law, 31-year-old Luke Stempuzis, also a passenger, is in a medically induced coma at a Buffalo trauma center.

Another one of their friends, 31-year-old Michael Rosenbaum, was released from the hospital but is recovering from serious injuries, Nicole said. She also said that Rosenbaum was Morgan’s boyfreind.

Nicole and her husband Anthony were driving back to the Airbnb the group rented in Buffalo for after the concert. Nicole said their three friends were riding in the rideshare car behind them. But, when the group didn’t arrive at the Airbnb, Nicole became concerned and looked at a location app on her phone.

She and her husband drove to the location at an intersection just two blocks away and saw the crash aftermath.

The three friends in the rideshare car, Morgan, Luke and Michael, all work at M Italian Restaurant in Chagrin Falls, Nicole said.

“Morgan (Ehrenbeit) was smart, funny, quick witted and she was overall bubbly,” Nicole said.

“Morgan has a lot of nieces and nephews and loved being with them. She always told me, even the night we went to the concert, how much she loves living so close to her sister in Chagrin Falls, because she could walk over there and be with them,” Nicole added.

Nicole said there’s a GoFundMe for Luke Stempuzis and a GoFundMe for Michael Rosenbaum to help with their medical costs.

Buffalo police said Devin Ford was the driver of the car that struck the Uber and is charged with two counts of felony manslaughter, two counts of felony assault, speeding, failure to use headlights, being an unlicensed driver, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

Buffalo authorites recently held a news conference on the crash investigation which you can watch by clicking here.

Friends of Morgan, Luke and Michael posted a video tribute to them.

A spokesperson from Lyft sent Fox 8 News a statement Friday:

We (Lyft) are heartbroken by this incident. Our hearts are with the victim’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and we’ve reached out to offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation.

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