What to Know
- Two people were trapped and injured after the car they were in crashed into a light pole on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, police say
- The crash happened early Monday near Tilden Avenue in East Flatbush; the stretch of road around the crash was closed to drivers
- Authorities say it appears the 26-year-old driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle, then smashed into the light pole
One person died and another was critically injured when their car smashed into a light pole in Brooklyn so forcefully it was barely recognizable as a vehicle, officials say.
The victims — a 26-year-old man and his 30-year-old passenger — were trapped in the fiery, mangled wreck after the one-car crash at Kings Highway and Tilden Avenue in East Flatbush shortly after 3:30 a.m., according to the NYPD.
First responders got them out; both were taken to hospitals in critical condition. The 30-year-old passenger was later pronounced dead, the NYPD said. His name wasn't immediately released.
Video from the scene posted to the social media app "Citizen" shows dozens of police officers surrounding the car. A neighbor's security camera video shows the car go up into flames upon impact.
Police say the driver appears to have been speeding and lost control of the vehicle. The speed limit on Kings Highway is 25 mph.
The aftermath of the wreck was captured on a nearby home's security camera and shows intense flames following the crash.
Once a good Samaritan somehow doused the flames, both car occupants were rushed to Kings County Hospital. Their identities have not been released.
Kings Highway was closed for hours in both directions between Snyder Avenue and Tilden Avenue, but has since reopened.
