Drunk Mercedes Driver Slams Into Car, Kills 3 Women Leaving Birthday Party

Long Island -- A drunken Mercedes-Benz driver slammed his car into another vehicle, killing three women who were leaving a birthday party in Long Island, police said Sunday.

The accused, identified as 22-year-old Dante Lennon, was behind the wheel of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz when it crashed into another car with six passengers on Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park, Nassau County Police said. Three women sitting in the back seat of the 2010 Lincoln Town Car died at the scene. Their identities have not been released so far.

A law enforcement source told the New York Daily News that the victims had just left a "sweet-16 party" at The Inn in New Hyde Park.

"I had walked them out of The Inn. They just had a sweet 16 Party for their granddaughter. Five minutes getting into their car, they made the right here and they were killed," said Michael McCutchan, a security guard at The Inn.

The crashed vehicle's driver and two other passengers were hospitalized. All the three, who are adults, were said to be in a stable condition.

Surveillance footage, obtained by CBS2, showed the Lincoln driver slowly turning left when the Mercedes rammed into it. Both the cars were sent flying down the road following the collision.

Lennon, a Freeport resident, was arrested by police and charged with multiple counts of vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said, adding that he will appear in court after recovering.

A witness, who works at a nearby restaurant, told CBS2 that he ran outside after hearing a loud bang and saw the destroyed cars. He immediately called 911.

"Very disturbing, never seen that ever in my life," Jaylen Augustin told Freedomnews TV. "[W]hy would that happen? I just can't believe it."

In March, a California man and his 3-year-old daughter were killed after a pickup truck crashed into their Long Beach apartment building. The 42-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and his daughter was rushed to a local hospital. The child later succumbed to her injuries.