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16-year-old arrested in fatal Washington Heights crash
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jul 12, 2023
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Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jul 12, 2023
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A 16-year-old male was arrested and charged with manslaughter on Tuesday after he allegedly crashed a stolen car in Manhattan, killing two other teens, the NYPD said.
The crash happened in Washington Heights on July 3 at around 6:30 p.m., police said. According to an NYPD investigation, the 16-year-old, who was accompanied by four other teen passengers, was driving a stolen 2019 Hyundai Elantra on Audubon Avenue.
As the vehicle crossed the intersection on West 179th Street, it was hit by a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 53-year-old, police said. The Hyundai then slammed into a parked and unoccupied 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and overturned, according to the NYPD.
The collision also set off a chair reaction along the parked cars on the street — the 2023 Jeep struck an unoccupied 2021 Audi Q3, which was an unoccupied 2016 Honda Accord, police said. Meanwhile, the Jeep driven by the 53-year-old came to a stop at the crosswalk.
The 16-year-old Hyundai driver and two other 15-year-old passengers were taken to Harlem Hospital in critical condition. The 53-year-old Jeep driver was taken to the same hospital in stable condition.
Two other teens, 15-year-old Daniel Duran and 17-year-old Daniel Rodriguez, were rushed to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The 16-year-old teenager said to be behind the wheel of the Hyundai is facing a slew of charges, including two counts of manslaughter, two counts of criminally negligent homicide, 10 counts of assault, criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. His name was not released because he is underage.
The crash came just months after city officials warned that they noticed a spike in car thefts that started last September due to a viral TikTok trend. Hyundais and Kias are particularly vulnerable to a technological glitch, with users of the social media app posting videos of themselves jump-starting the cars with just a USB cord and a screwdriver.
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Catalina Gonella
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