What to Know
- A fiery car crash on railroad tracks in Rockland County Sunday afternoon killed two people, including a high school student
- Witnesses say the vehicle fell from Route 304 overpass between Woodcliff Lake and Nanuet and the Pascack Valley Line was suspended
- It's unclear how the driver lost control of the vehicle but a Pearl River School District student and another passenger were killed
A 15-year-old girl who was among two teens killed in a fiery crash in Rockland County will be buried in New Jersey on Tuesday as communities mourn their tragic deaths.
The father of Sanih Cekic, who was just a sophomore at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, says she was his strength and that "she's never said a bad word to anybody" before her cousin, 17-year-old Aisha Radoncic, somehow collided with another vehicle on Route 304 on Sunday, causing the Porsche to fall onto a NJ Transit track between Woodcliff Lake and Nanuet.
In Queens on Monday, mourners lined up and down the street outside of a mosque to pay their respects for Cekic — so many people that there was no room inside.
Cekic's father was overcome with emotion, saying his daughter "did everything to make me happy."
The accident killed the Cekic and another passenger, 17-year-old Altin Nezaj who was a student at Pearl River High School. Radoncic, also a student at the same school, was injured in the incident but she's expected to recover.
Radoncic's father said she suffered minor injuries, but the pain she feels is in her heart, knowing her younger cousin did not survive.
Pearl River School District Superintendent Marco F. Pochintesta released a statement on Monday, saying "When our school community experiences a tragedy, such as the loss of a young life, it impacts all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students and their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time."
In addition, Pochintesta says counselors will be available for students who are returning to class on Tuesday. A memorial was growing at the spot where the car crashed to the ground from the overpass.
Locals call the area that's known for serious accidents the "dead man's curve."
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the incident was not injured, police said, but they could not immediately provide other details of how the crash occurred.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, but investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol played a role.
