Fiery New York crash that killed five CT children and teens ruled an accident
A fiery crash in March in New York that killed five Connecticut children and teens has been ruled an accident that likely occurred after the 16-year-old driving the vehicle fell asleep at the wheel, officials concluded.
The Westchester County Police Department said Tuesday that no charges will be filed in connection with the March 19 crash reported at 12:20 a.m. on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale, New York, where a 2021 Nissan Rogue driven by 16-year-old Malik Smith, with five others on board ages 8 to 17, went straight at a curve in the highway before striking a boulder and a tree.
The vehicle caught on fire following the crash, killing all of the family members in the rental SUV except for a 9-year-old who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and survived after crawling out of a rear window that had shattered.
Teen driver in N.Y. crash that killed five children had no license
The others killed in the crash have been identified as 17-year-old Anthony Billips Jr., Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Shawnell Cross, 11, and 8-year-old Andrew Billips.
“A forensic examination of the vehicle and the accident scene found no evidence that the vehicle had been involved in a collision that forced it off the road,” Westchester County police said in a statement Tuesday.
“There also were no indications that the driver engaged the brakes or otherwise took any evasive action after the vehicle left the roadway,” police added. “The conclusion of our detectives and our Accident Investigation Team is that the driver most likely fell asleep and that’s what caused the vehicle to go off the road.”
Police said a toxicology report on Smith revealed that neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the crash. The investigation into the accident has been closed, police said.
Officials previously said Smith did not have a driver’s license or permit and that the vehicle he was driving had been rented to a family member. Authorities believe the youths were heading from New Jersey to their home in Derby, where they had recently moved from New York.
“Our department did receive a number of questions regarding family-related issues following the tragic crash,” Westchester County police said Tuesday. “As we said at that time, those questions should be directed to Connecticut officials.”
“This is an unthinkable tragedy for these children, their family, friends, neighbors and others who knew them,” Vannessa Dorantes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, said in a statement this week. “As previously stated, the department received a report after the accident in New York and investigated the conditions of the home environment while providing supportive services to the family. Our department adheres to confidentiality under state statute 17a-28 and federal law, and we are unable to comment further on this matter.”
