Peter Bonenfant, 19, former Smithtown lacrosse player, killed in wrong-way crash in upstate Ulster County

A Smithtown man who died Sunday following a head-on collision in upstate Ulster County was remembered as a star lacrosse player devoted to his family. 

Peter Bonenfant, 19, was killed after an early morning crash that also killed Phillip Jacobus, 72, of Manhattan.

Bonenfant was driving a 2024 Chevrolet on State Route 28 in the town of Olive when "for unknown reasons" his car crossed into the opposite lane at about 6:45 a.m. and struck Jacobus' 2021 Mercedes-Benz, state police investigating the crash said. 

First responders freed both men from their vehicles and initiated life-saving measures, police said. They were both taken to Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston, where Bonenfant died. Jacobus was transferred to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he died.

Peter Bonenfant grew up on Long Island and was adopted as a newborn, said his brother, Christopher Bofenfant, 31, of Smithtown. At the time, his parents were fostering children and looking to adopt.

"My family adopted Peter and he was immediately part of the family," Christopher Bonenfant said. "Family was a big thing for him, and he would drop anything going on for his family and friends."

Their father is a retired Suffolk County and NYPD police officer. Christopher Bonenfant is a Suffolk County police officer.

Christopher Bonenfant said his brother was "protective and loyal to a fault" to his friends and family. "He would light up every room he walked into."

Peter Bonenfant was a 2025 graduate of Smithtown West High School, where he played attack and midfield for the school lacrosse team and was recruited on a scholarship by Division I Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Nik Colpitts, head coach of men's lacrosse at the university, said in an email that Bonenfant had initially committed to attending Queens for the fall of 2025 but then changed his mind. Colpitts said Bonenfant made "a tremendous impact" on staff during the recruiting process and during his brief time with the program.

Christopher Bonenfant said his brother changed his mind about attending Queens because he wanted to be closer to his family. He returned to Long Island, where he had recently been studying to be an electrician. 

Smithtown West boys lacrosse coach Matt Schultz said he was still in shock at the news. "Peter was a great kid for our team — and, obviously, I’m still just floored by the news. It’s tragic and devastating and I’m still processing everything."

Schultz said many of his current players were on the team with Bonenfant, adding: "It’s something we’re going through together as a team, as a school, as a community. High school kids shouldn’t be going through this; no one should be going through this. ... It’s just tragic."

While he studied to be an electrician, Bonenfant also worked two jobs on Long Island, as an auto detailer and at P.C. Richard and Son, his brother said. He loved to work on his car, a Nissan 350Z.

Since the crash, friends have been leaving flowers and taking pictures with his car, Christopher Bonenfant said. Friends established an online fundraiser to help the family with expenses.

Services were still pending Tuesday evening. 

Jacobus was the CEO and founder of the online medical equipment trading platform DOTmed.com.

A man answering the phone at DOTmed headquarters in Manhattan Tuesday said everyone there was too devastated to speak.

According to the company's website, Jacobus launched DOTmed.com in 1998 and had been involved in healthcare since 1977, when he first visited China to sell equipment.

DOTmed.com is an online open marketplace for healthcare professionals, medical equipment manufacturers, brokers and dealers. 

According to its website, the company has 375,000 registered users, and its website gets 25,000 unique visitors daily poring through 850,000 listings.

Jacobus also launched the HealthCare Business News in 2007. The online and print publication describes itself as a leader in "examining trends and current events impacting healthcare industry decision-makers and medical equipment stakeholders."