Police believe no other vehicles were involved in the accident, which claimed five lives and injured a nine-year-old.
The 16-year-old driver in a fatal crash in New York over the weekend that killed him and four other children had no license or permit and was possibly asleep at the time of the accident.
During a press conference on Monday, Westchester County Executive George Latimer stated that the young driver, who was from Connecticut, “did not have a Connecticut nor a New York driver’s license or a permit,” and that even if he did, “he would not be able to drive legally at night” in the state of New York.
Malik Smith, 16, was the driver, according to Latimer, and those killed in the crash included Anthony Billips Jr., 17, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Shawnell Cross, 11, and Andrew Billips, 8.
Abraham Billips, 9, escaped the crash and was treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, according to Latimer.
The crash that killed five occurred overnight Sunday on the Hutchinson River Parkway. (Photo: iStock)
The accident happened overnight Sunday on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale, a northern New York City suburb. According to Latimer, Smith’s Nissan Rogue veered off the road, hit a boulder, then crashed into a tree and burst into flames.
The first responder to the scene, a police officer, was unable to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher, according to Latimer, who added that firefighters arriving soon after were able to control the blaze.
Abraham Billips, a 9-year-old survivor of the crash, was riding in the SUV’s back cargo area and was able to escape to safety through a broken back window. The other five passengers died from blunt force trauma as a result of the collision with the boulder and tree, according to Latimer.
The investigation into how Smith gained access to the vehicle continues, and a toxicology report has been ordered to determine whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.
“There are no signs of damage on the vehicle that would have indicated a second vehicle was involved, and there are no corresponding tire marks that would have been made had the vehicle been struck or forced off the roadway by another vehicle,” Latimer said. “The evidence at the scene suggests… that the operator was either distracted or dozed off.”
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