Violent crash in Jersey city kills teenager

JERSEY CITY (WABC) -- A violent crash killed a teenager in Jersey City early Saturday morning around 4 a.m.

A 17-year-old driver lost control of his Mitsubishi Eclipse on Route 440 in front of a Pathmark Supermarket. The car left the roadway, split in half, caught on fire, and then struck a DOT aerial camera. An 18-year-old passenger in the vehicle was killed. The driver suffered broken bones, and is in stable condition at the hospital.

The driver, who remains unidentified, admitted to police that he was speeding and lost control when he tried to catch up to another vehicle that previously cut him off.

The identification of the 18-year-old passenger has not yet been released, and the driver has not yet been charged.

Sources say the nearby shopping mall is a popular place for young people with 'tuner' cars to gather and pickup races when the strip malls close.