Five children were killed in a horrific car accident in Scarsdale, New York, around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, March 19. According to reports, the victims and the lone survivor were all siblings and cousins.
Authorities say a 16-year-old was driving a Nissan Rogue SUV on the Hutchinson River Parkway on the way back home from the mall. The car swerved off the road and crashed into a tree in Westchester County, just past the Mamaroneck Road exit. The car then caught fire, killing all but one of the passengers.
The victims’ ages ranged from 8 to 17, with four boys and one girl, relatives from Derby, Connecticut. A nine-year-old boy, who had been in the cargo/hatchback area of the SUV, managed to escape through the back. He was taken to Westchester Medical Center. His injuries were not life-threatening, and he is currently in stable condition.
Malik Smith, 16, Anthony Billips, Jr., 17, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Shawnell Cross, 11, and Andrew Billips, 8, were identified as the victims.
Police said at a press conference on Monday that the driver, Malik Smith, 16, did not have a driver’s license or a permit.
According to Matt Conway, superintendent of schools in Derby, Connecticut, the children had recently relocated from New York City and were not yet enrolled in the local schools. He stated that he had contacted the father of the boy who had survived and offered him the community’s assistance. He described it as unimaginable to have to bury not one, but five children.
