In a tragic incident early Sunday, five children aged between 8 and 17 lost their lives when their car veered off the road and crashed into a tree in the New York metropolitan area. According to authorities, another child was injured in the accident.
The Westchester County Police Department stated in a release that the victims included four boys and a girl, all from Connecticut. A 16-year-old boy is believed to have been driving the Nissan Rogue at the time of the accident. The SUV was traveling on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale, New York, roughly 25 miles northeast of New York City, when it went off the road, hit a tree, and caught fire around 12:20 a.m. Sunday. The crash did not involve any other vehicles.
Miraculously, a 9-year-old boy survived the accident. Westchester County officials reported that the boy appeared to have been in the car's hatchback area and managed to escape from the rear of the vehicle.
The 16-year-old driver's father, Malik Smith, told CBS New York that his son had driven before despite not having a license or driving permit, and against the advice of numerous family members.
The driver was related to the passengers involved in Sunday's accident, according to Smith, who said his son lived in East New York, Brooklyn, while the cousins resided in Connecticut. The teenager frequently spent time with his cousins on weekends, engaging in typical activities like going to the movies or visiting the mall.
Smith described his son as a good student who enjoyed playing basketball and was cherished by his community.
Connecticut State Rep. Kara Rochelle expressed her condolences in a Facebook post shared on Sunday: "Terrible, heartbreaking news emerging of five Derby children lost in a crash in New York. One of the six children in the crash survived. Please keep these children and their family in your prayers. Please keep all of their friends in your prayers. You are all in my heart, in all of our hearts."
The Westchester County authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the crash. On Sunday, the police were in the process of notifying the families of the children who tragically lost their lives in the accident.
