Westchester County

‘Unimaginable:' Names of 5 NY Crash Victims Released, Driver Had No License

The kids were all part of a family that had recently moved from New York to Derby, Connecticut, according to the school district superintendent for the latter. He says their father is dealing with the "unimaginable"

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What to Know

  • A 16-year-old was behind the wheel of a Nissan that veered off the Hutchinson River Parkway, crashed into a tree and caught fire early Sunday, killing him and four other minors
  • The kids were all part of a family that had recently moved from NY to Derby, Connecticut, according to the superintendent for Derby schools, who said they had yet to enroll in the system
  • A 9-year-old boy was the lone survivor; he escaped out the back of the vehicle and was being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening

Authorities in Westchester County have released the names of five minors from Connecticut killed in a fiery late-night crash on the Hutchinson River Parkway over the weekend, as investigators work to unravel what went horribly wrong.

The 16-year-old driver did not have a driver's license or permit and may have fallen asleep or become distracted before the SUV veered off the highway, officials said Monday.

The car continued straight at a curve on the highway and struck a boulder and then a tree at 12:20 a.m. Sunday, Westchester County Executive George Latimer said at a news conference. Speed does not appear to have been a factor, he said.

The victims were from Derby, Connecticut. A 16-year-old identified Monday as Malik Smith was the person behind the wheel of the Nissan Rogue, which crashed north of the Mamaroneck Road exit in Scarsdale. No other cars appeared to be involved.

Smith along with four of his five passengers died. The other victims were identified Monday as 8-year-old Andrew Billips, 11-year-old Shawnell Cross, 12-year-old Zahnyiah Cross and 17-year-old Anthony Billips Jr. They included two sets of siblings, Latimer said.

A 9-year-old child whose name has not been released was the lone survivor. Officials said he managed to escape out the rear hatch.

Police believe a 16-year-old who died in the crash was behind the wheel at the time. News 4's Jessica Cunnington reports.

The 9-year-old was taken to a hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries and is expected to survive.

“He’s just seen five members of his family die. This has got to be an impossible situation for him as a young boy. So the kind of questions that you or I would want to ask him to know these things probably isn’t appropriate until things have been stabilized,” Latimer said.

The SUV had been rented to a relative. Authorities were looking into how the boy had access to the car.

“We’re less concerned at this point about who to blame, but to understand exactly what happened,” Latimer said.

The children may have been driving from New Jersey to Derby, Connecticut, where they are believed to have recently moved, when they crashed in Scarsdale, New York, Latimer said.

Matt Conway, the superintendent of schools in Derby, Connecticut, said he learned the children were part of a family that recently moved to the New Haven County community from New York but had not yet enrolled in the district.

Conway said he reached out to the father on Sunday and offered to provide him with details on community support. He planned to talk with the father again on Monday. Investigators also planned to provide an update later in the day.

“It’s the unimaginable," Conway said of what the father now faces. "Having to now make arrangements for five of your children to be buried is a very difficult thing for anyone — one child, never mind five, that you’re going to have to now make arrangements for."

The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright NBC New York/Associated Press
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