A Hyundai Elantra, which police believe was stolen at the end of June, was traveling northbound on Audubon Avenue around 6:45 a.m. when it collided with a Jeep going west on 179th Street.
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Video from NewsCopter 7 showed the Jeep overturned and a second vehicle, possibly the Elantra, knocked onto the sidewalk.
People who live in the neighborhood said they saw the car speeding and running red lights moments before the crash.
"I saw them run that light, through my side view mirror, and then they kept running the lights without even slowing down." Spiro Theologis said. "All I thought to myself is these kids are going to get themselves killed or kill someone. Next thing I know I heard a big crash."
A 16-year-old boy was driving and four more teenagers were passengers in the Elantra at the time.
A 16-year-old and a 15-year-old were pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian-Columbia Hospital.
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Two more passengers, another 16-year-old and a 15-year-old, were taken to Harlem Hospital in critical condition.
The driver was also taken to the hospital, but was the least seriously hurt.
The 53-year-old driver of the Jeep was also taken to Harlem Hospital for treatment.
Two other vehicles involved in the crash were believed to have been parked at the time they were struck.
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NYPD investigators are working to determine what led to the crash.
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