CRASH KILLS COP

Passenger, too, dies on Hudson P’kway

A young off-duty NYPD cop and her passenger were killed in a fiery car crash on the Upper West Side early Sunday, according to authorities and law-enforcement sources.

Officer Kimberly Lajara of the 121st Precinct was driving south along the Henry Hudson Parkway at around 3:45 a.m. when her 2016 Mercedes-Benz hopped a median near West 98th Street and slammed into a tree, cops and sources said.

The vehicle burst into flames, leaving both the 24-year-old Staten Island police officer and her passenger, Oscar Monegro, 32, dead at the scene, according to police.

The cause of the crash officially remains under investigation, but law-enforcement sources said that it appeared Lajara was speeding when she lost control.

The relationship between Lajara and Monegro wasn’t immediately clear.

The flames were so fierce that the two were “pretty badly burned,” police sources said.

The vehicle — crumpled at the foot of the scorched tree — was so badly mangled that it took cops hours to work out which of the two occupants had been behind the wheel.

Investigators ultimately traced the vehicle back to Lajara because it was registered in her name, and her purse was found in its charred shell.

“Rest In Peace Police Officer Lajara,” tweeted Staten Island’s 121st Precinct. “You will be missed by your entire 121 Precinct Family.”

Outside the precinct’s station house on Sunday, Lajara’s fellow off icers were too shaken to speak.

Onlookers at the crash site were horrified at the twisted mass of metal left behind.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in my freaking life — a car mangled like that, destroyed,” said Paul Vella. “It’s unbelievable, man. It’s sad.” Vella was on his way to play tennis at a nearby court along the Hudson River when he felt compelled to stop at the nightmarish scene.

But he said he was not surprised to see such a nasty smash-up along that stretch of highway.

“Are they normally zooming by? Of course. It’s the West Side Highway,” Vella said.

“I’m 57 years old, I’ve already made that transition into calm driving. It comes with age. You realize, what’s the rush?”

Even though he already takes it easy behind the wheel, seeing the hellish scene made Vella vow to be more careful.

“I think I’ll take it a little slower today,” he said.