A 16-year-old unlicensed driver was behind the wheel when an SUV veered off a New York highway and crashed into a tree,killing five young passengers, officials have said.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer gavenew details about the crashat a media conference on Monday, saying three boys and two girls died from blunt force trauma on Sunday, about 12:20 a.m. local time.
The victims are Malik Smith, who was driving the car, and two pairs of siblings: Anthony Billips Jr., 17, and Andrew Billips, 8; and Zahnyiah Cross, 12, and Shawnell Cross, 11.
Abraham Billips, 9,survived the crashand his condition is not life-threatening. The child was riding in the hatchback area and managed to escape through the rear of the vehicle.
The 16-year-old did not have a driving license or permit, and Latimer said even if he did, he would not be able to legally drive at night at that age. State regulations would alsorequire an adult to be presentin the car for a 16-year-old to be driving.
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New York highway crash scene.Eyewitness News ABC7NY/Youtube
Investigators believe “the driver was either distracted or fell asleep,” Latimer said. The stretch of Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale where the crash occurred curves to the left and is slightly downhill.
He added that there were no tire marks on the road, which would have indicated sudden braking, and there were no marks on the grass, which would be present if the driver had tried to suddenly turn back onto the road.
Latimer said the driver did not turn with the curve of the two-lane road and went straight into a boulder and then into a tree before the SUV burst into flames.
Speed was not believed to be a factor, with an eyewitness telling investigators the car was not traveling faster than the 50 mph limit.
An autopsy on the driver and the front-seat passenger found the cause of death was blunt force trauma, authorities said. A toxicology report has not yet been completed.
“This was a horrific accident, it was a horrific accident site,” he told the media.
The driver’s father, whose name is also Malik Smith, told CBS 2 thathe was aware his son would sometimes drivedespite not having a permit.
“Yeah, I was. And I told him, his mother told him, his older brothers told him, ‘Stop driving without a license, without a permit. Anything happens, you get pulled over, you get in trouble for these things. Stop doing this,’ " Smith said.
“It’s the unimaginable,” he said. “Having to now make arrangements for five of your children to be buried is a very difficult thing for anyone — one child, never mind five that you’re going to have to now make arrangements for.”
source: people.com
