Officials in Westchester County have identified the five kids from Derby who were killed in a crash in New York over the weekend.
Westchester County Police said 16-year-old Malik Smith was driving a Nissan Rogue on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale, New York, around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday when the vehicle left the road, struck a boulder and a tree and caught on fire.
Westchester County officials said Smith; 17-year-old Anthony Billips Jr.; Zahnyiah Cross, a 12-year-old girl; Shawnell Cross, an 11-year-old girl; and Andrew Billips, an 8-year-old boy; were all killed in the crash. They said there were at least two sets of siblings in the vehicle.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, officials said Smith did not have a driver's permit or license from New York or Connecticut.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said investigators are trying to determine whether the five children who were killed in the crash were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
Officials said they do not believe speed was a factor in the crash. They believe that Smith was either distracted or asleep when the crash happened, but said that is a theory and not based on evidence from the scene.
The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma from injuries sustained in the crash, officials in Westchester County said.
U.S. & World
The vehicle Smith was driving had been rented by a relative. It's not clear how the teen had access to it.
A 9-year-old boy who was riding in the rear hatchback/cargo area was able to escape out of the back of the car and is the only survivor, authorities said. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. No other vehicles are believed to have been involved.
