The names of the five young people who were tragically killed in a car accident over the weekend in Westchester County have been released.
Six siblings and cousins were traveling from a shopping mall to Derby, Connecticut when their 2021 Nissan Rogue veered off the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale just before 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The vehicle struck a boulder and a tree north of the Mamaroneck Road exit and caught fire, according to officials.
“The driver failed to turn with the roadway, continued in a straight line, struck a boulder, and then collided head-on with a tree,” Westchester County Executive George Latimer stated regarding the accident. At that point, the car was engulfed in flames.
The crash claimed the lives of Malik Smith, 16, Anthony Billips Jr., 17, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Shawnell Cross, 11, and Andrew Billips, 8.
The sole survivor, a 9-year-old boy, was said to be riding in the rear hatchback/cargo area and escaped out the rear door according to the Westchester County Police Department.
The boy was brought to a Westchester hospital and found to have non-life-threatening injuries.
There were no other cars involved in the accident.
At a Monday news conference, officials disclosed that the driver, 16-year-old Malik Smith, didn’t have a license or learners permit.
Latimer stated that it was unclear how the driver gained access to the Nissan, which had been rented by a relative.