The NYPD is investigating a multi-vehicle crash on the Belt Parkway that left three teenagers dead and four other people injured.
Police responded just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to the parkway near 65th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Five teenagers were heading east in a Cadillac Escalade when the vehicle’s driver merged into the right lane, investigators said.
Another driver in an approaching Honda HRV was behind the Cadillac and unable to brake in time, which resulted in the vehicle rear-ending the teen’s car. Officials said both vehicles lost control.
Police say the Cadillac hit the guardrail and overturned, ejecting three of the passengers from the car.
Driver Huzayfah Algaheim, 18, and passengers Abdul Rehman, 16, and Konstantin Gerantidi, 17, were taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. All three are from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
“It is deep sorrow for my family,” Basitarat Aline, Rehman’s cousin, said. “Abdul is a very, very nice guy.”
The Cadillac’s two other teenage passengers and the two women in the Honda are in stable condition, police said.
“It’s just very, very sad,” said Kara Garcia, who drives the Belt Parkway often. “I really pray for their families and their friends. It’s a horrible situation.”
Commuters say they frequently see speeding and quick lane changes on the road, especially in the evenings.
“People are coming in and cutting you off,” Dawn Bader said. “There’s always traffic and speeding, so it’s dangerous. I don’t like the Belt Parkway.”
There are currently no criminal charges stemming from Tuesday’s incident.