New York Car Crash Splits Vehicle In Half, Kills 5 People

A speeding car, which was trying to evade the police in Yonkers, New York, crashed into another, splitting the latter vehicle into half and killing five people.

The dead include the 36-year-old driver of the speeding white 2009 INFINITI sedan and four 18-year-old men, who were thrown out of their silver 2006 Nissan sedan due to the impact, said NBC News.

A statement by Yonkers police said the cops noticed the INFINITI sedan being driven erratically Tuesday and attempted to stop the vehicle for a traffic violation. Even though the vehicle appeared to be pulling over initially, it immediately sped off.

The car then violently rammed into the Nissan, carrying the teenagers, causing catastrophic damage to both vehicles. The force of the collision was such that the Nissan split in half, ejecting all its occupants, who died at the scene.

The driver of the INFINITI, Devon Haywood, was extracted from the vehicle and moved to a nearby trauma care center where he died from injuries, the statement read. He was later identified to be a resident of Mount Vernon.

The teenagers killed in the accident were Brandon Sierra, Randy Brisbane, Tamari Watkins and Anthony Cruz. While Cruz was a graduate of Riverside High School, the three other teens were graduates of Saunders Trades and Technical High School.

An investigation is underway into the incident, Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller said. Detectives have recorded statements from eyewitnesses and recovered the surveillance videos to reconstruct the accident scene, he added.

Yonkers' Mayor, Mike Spano, paid tributes to the teenagers, calling the accident "nothing short of tragic” in a statement released by police.

“Four young lives were cut short by the recklessness of one individual. Let this be a lesson to all who drive at excessive speeds — it not only puts your life at risk but also the innocent lives with whom you share the road,” Spano said.

Meanwhile, the New York Post quoted a 56-year-old witness, Rafelina Mendez, who said that she saw one car spin in the impact of the collision.

"I heard an awfully loud crash, it was terrible. I looked out the window and saw one car spin and a body on the street. I saw a person running to check on the body. He bent down and held his head like he was upset and crying. It looked like the body was ejected,” she said.

Saunders Trades and Technical High School nurse Martha Medranda also shared her grief with the New York Post.

“We’re all family at Saunders. You may graduate but you never leave. These were really good, great kids. I have 1,400 kids and for me to remember them, it’s because they were always respectful. It’s a shame this happened.”