Four teenagers were killed in a Nassau County car accident when the driver failed to negotiate a curve on the Southern State Parkway.
The car careened off the road just before 4 a.m. and slammed into a tree, ripping the vehicle into pieces and ejecting the four 18-year-olds who died, law enforcement officials said.
The driver, just 17 years old, had only a learner's permit, police said.
Drivers with learner's permit are only allowed to drive when a licensed driver 21 or older is in the vehicle.
According to one media report, the teen had recently received the vehicle as a gift from his parents. It wasn't clear if they knew he was driving without proper supervision at the time of the crash.
Nearby residents said the car hit the tree with such force, it literally shook their houses.
"I heard the loudest noise I've ever heard in my life -- like an explosion, like TNT blew off," one man said.
Said another, "Literally, the minute they hit the tree, the house shook." another resident added.
Debris from the crash rained down on passing cars, a resident said. The young driver -- who had also been ejected from his car -- was found wandering the accident site in a daze, looking for his friends.
Unfortunately, they were all dead at the scene.
In similar cases, an improperly licensed driver and the family can be held responsible for the terrible losses suffered as a result of the driver's license.
Our Nassau County law firm represents clients in cases similar to this one. For more information, visit our New York wrongful death page.
Source: CBS New York, "Police: 4 Killed, Driver Hurt In Violent Southern State Parkway Wreck," Oct. 8, 2012
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