Pearl River Accident: 2 Teens Killed As Car Bursts Into Flames After Plunging Off Overpass

Two teens were killed in a car crash after their vehicle plunged off an overpass and burst into flames in Pearl River, Orange County, New York, on Sunday.

Police officers responding to the emergency said two cars had collided on the Route 304 overpass in the hamlet of Pearl River. They said a Porche SUV was sent flying over the rail after the collision.

The incident claimed the lives of two teenagers, a 15-year-old girl, Saniha Cekic, and a 17-year-old boy, Altin Nezaj, according to police. The driver of the car, 17-year-old Aisha Radoncic, survived the crash and was admitted to a nearby hospital as her condition was critical. The passengers in the other car were safe.

One of the first responders to the scene, Joe Geppner, a local resident, said, “We started trying to get fire extinguishers and we started trying to put out the fire because all we heard was this poor girl screaming, and she was screaming terribly.”

In the wake of the event, the district school superintendent Marco F. Pochintesta announced on the district website, “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 councilors or another trained professional in our community.”

The police said Route 304 is closed indefinitely as officials continue to investigate.