Bay Ridge Belt Parkway crash killed 3 teens after SUV overturned
BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Three teenagers were killed and several others were injured in a violent crash on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn late Tuesday night after a Cadillac SUV overturned and several occupants were thrown from the vehicle.
The crash happened around 11:35 p.m. on the eastbound Belt Parkway near 86th Street in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn.
Investigators said the survivors told police they had just left a gas station and were on their way home.
Police say the 18-year-old driver of a Cadillac SUV was traveling in the center lane when he encountered a slower-moving vehicle, causing him to decelerate.
A 2024 Honda SUV traveling behind the Cadillac was unable to slow down in time and rear-ended it.
Both vehicles lost control and struck the guardrail along the southern side of the roadway. The Cadillac overturned, ejecting three occupants onto the roadway.
The 18-year-old driver and two passengers, ages 16 and 17, were transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in critical condition, where they were later pronounced dead.
They were identified as 18-year-old Huzayfah Makharesh, 17-year-old Konstantin Gerantidi and 16-year-old Abdul Rehman.
Police said none of them were wearing their seatbelts.
Two surviving occupants of the SUV, a 16-year-old front passenger and an 18-year-old rear passenger, were wearing seat belts and were taken to Maimonides Medical Center in stable condition.
The Honda was driven by a 46-year-old woman with a 44-year-old female passenger. Both were taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in stable condition.
Police said the 18-year-old Cadillac driver had a valid license. He had previously received six summonses, including citations for speeding, driving on the shoulder and an unsafe lane change. Authorities said he had also previously had his license temporarily suspended after failing to appear in court on traffic violations.
Family members of the victims gathered at the hospital as investigators worked to determine the exact cause of the crash.
There have been no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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