2 teens killed, 1 injured in fiery New York car crash

Isabel Keane and Robert Brum, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
2 teens killed, 1 injured in fiery New York car crash

PEARL RIVER, N.Y. – Police in Orangetown tried to piece together what happened Sunday when an SUV plummeted onto train tracks and burst into flames, killing two teenagers and seriously injuring a third.

The crash, which involved a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2017 Porsche Macan, occurred at 3:26 p.m. Sunday in Pearl River, which borders New Jersey.

Altin Nezaj, 17, of Pearl River, died after the multi-vehicle crash on Route 304 sent the car he was riding in off an overpass and onto the tracks below, where the car burst into flames.

Nezaj, a member of the Pearl River High School Pirates football and wrestling teams, died at a hospital.

Altin Nezaj, 17, died after a multi-vehicle crash on Route 304 in Pearl River, New York, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. He played football, No. 71, for Pearl River High School.
Altin Nezaj, 17, died after a multi-vehicle crash on Route 304 in Pearl River, New York, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. He played football, No. 71, for Pearl River High School.

Another passenger in the car, Saniha Cekic, 15, of Brooklyn, died after being airlifted to a different hospital.

Aisha Radoncic, 17, of Orangeburg, New York, the driver of the Porsche the trio were riding in, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

Jason Castro of Nanuet, New York, was driving the Volkswagen Jetta. He was not injured.

"When our school community experiences a tragedy, such as the loss of a young life, it impacts all of us," Marco Pochintesta, superintendent of Pearl River School District, announced on the district's website late Sunday night. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the students and their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time. ... Every child is different and will process this news in his or her own way. You know your child better than anybody else. If you see that your child is grieving, please seek help from our counselors or another trained professional in our community."

Pochintesta said counselors would be available through the week for students and staff members in need of support. Pearl River High School is closed on Monday for Columbus Day, but counselors would be available.

A vehicle ended up on the train tracks near West Crooked Hill Road on Sunday.
A vehicle ended up on the train tracks near West Crooked Hill Road on Sunday.

Route 304 was closed overnight while police investigated, but it reopened by 4:15 a.m. The Pascack Valley line of the NJ Transit system was suspended from Nanuet into New Jersey overnight, but service resumed around 4 a.m.

It's still unclear what caused the crash; how the crash unfolded and the condition of the injured teen.

Contributing: Matt Spillane

Follow Isabel Keane and Robert Brum on Twitter: @ijkeane and @Bee_Bob

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Fiery car crash: Students killed after car fell onto train tracks