2 women killed, 3 others injured after car crashes into White Plains building, bursts into flames
WHITE PLAINS, Westchester County (WABC) -- Two people were killed and two children were injured when a car crashed into an apartment building in Westchester County Monday morning.
Investigators say it appears the vehicle lost control, hit the curb, then a tree and crashed into the front of the building on Battle Avenue in White Plains just after 9 a.m.
Officials say both the car and the building were on fire when first responders arrived.
It appears the fire trapped the two women inside the Tesla and they had no way to escape.
After they put out the fire and removed the car from the building, the two women were found dead inside the car.
They were later identified as 70-year-old Millie Ortiz Sheehan who was driving and 36-year-old Diana Trochez Sheehan -- both of Hartsdale, New York.
The Greenburgh Town Board confirmed that Millie Ortiz Sheehan is the wife of Councilman Francis Sheehan and is the mother-in-law of Diana Trochez Sheehan.
Two children inside the apartment building were treated at the scene for injuries.
A jogger who was passing by at the time was struck by debris and taken to White Plains Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Councilman Francis Sheehan released the following statement confirming the deaths of his wife and daughter-in-law:
"This is the worst possible nightmare imaginable: we are still in shock. They were wonderful and kind people. Everyone loved them, for good reason. Diana was so much more than a daughter-in-law to us even though that is her legal title. We saw her everyday. They moved next door to us. We are that close a family. We eat together and Millie babysat daily our four grandchildren. Diana loved all our grandkids as her own.
There were four car seats in the car, which had three rows of seats. Fortunately they were all empty. It is the only good thing
Six minutes before the crash Millie and Diana had dropped off Diana's 18 month old and my daughter Christine's 30 month old at a local daycare. They were returning home from the daycare center when the crash occurred."
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