“Sad and angry”: Friend mourns 92-year-old friend who died in collision with stolen car

BRIGHTON, NY — The Rochester community is mourning the loss of 92-year-old Tom Chase, who died two days ago when three teenagers in a stolen car crashed into his vehicle at the intersection of East and Elmwood Avenues in Brighton. It is the first time an innocent person has been killed in a car crash involving a stolen car in the Rochester area.

Karl LaPorta, founder of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, became friends with Chase after tuning his piano for many years beginning in the early 2000s. Although he has not seen Chase in several years, it was an emotional time for him to hear of his friend's tragic death.

“I thought Tom was a friend and a very nice person and I'm shocked,” LaPorta said.

Chase enjoyed playing the piano and gave concerts for the residents of the Friendly Home in Brighton. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1954 and then became a piano teacher at Henderson State University in Arkansas.

LaPorta described Chase as a soft-spoken, wonderful, warm-hearted, loving person and a great pianist. He was a very generous and humble man. Even at age 92, Chase remained active and volunteered in the community.

The night after the tragedy, LaPorta and his wife were driving home and exiting the freeway at Linden Avenue. They noticed that the road was closed toward East Avenue because a man had died in a terrible accident. LaPorta never imagined that man was his friend Chase.

“It wasn't until the next morning that I knew it was Tom. I was shocked, very sad, I was sad and angry at the same time. Something like that should never have happened. Unfortunately, he didn't get to live the rest of his life,” said LaPorta.

According to police, the driver of the stolen Kia was on probation and had 12 previous arrests. LaPorta believes that New York State needs to have stricter laws to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

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