2 teens killed in fiery New York car crash
PEARL RIVER, N.Y. – Police in Orangetown tried to piece together what happened Sunday when an SUV plummeted onto train tracks and burst into flames, killing two teenagers and seriously injuring a third.
The crash, which involved a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2017 Porsche Macan, occurred at 3:26 p.m. Sunday in Pearl River, which borders New Jersey.
Altin Nezaj, 17, of Pearl River, died after the multi-vehicle crash on Route 304 sent the car he was riding in off an overpass and onto the tracks below, where the car burst into flames.
Nezaj died at a hospital. Another passenger in the car, Saniha Cekic, 15, of Brooklyn, died after being airlifted to a different hospital.
Aisha Radoncic, 17, of Orangeburg, New York, the driver of the Porsche the trio were riding in, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
Jason Castro of Nanuet, New York, was driving the Volkswagen Jetta. He was not injured.
“When our school community experiences a tragedy, such as the loss of a young life, it impacts all of us,” Marco Pochintesta, superintendent of Pearl River School District, announced on the district’s website late Sunday night. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the students and their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time . ...
“Every child is different and will process this news in his or her own way.
“You know your child better than anybody else. If you see that your child is grieving, please seek help from our counselors or another trained professional in our community.”