5 teens hurt when speeding car crashes, bursts into flames on Cape Cod
HARWICH – Five teenagers were hurt when a speeding car crashed and burst into flames late Monday night on Cape Cod.
It happened just before 11 p.m. on Queen Anne Road in Harwich.
Harwich, Massachusetts crash
Two Harwich police officers were on the road performing speed enforcement. According to police, the first officer saw a car pass her at 60 mph. The second officer said he clocked the car going 80 mph and increasing its speed.
The officers followed the car, arriving at the scene after it crashed through a guardrail. Among the passengers was a girl trapped in the back of the mangled vehicle.
"The car was on fire. When they went to put the fire out, one of the kids said, 'Hey, there's so-and-so still back seat,'" Harwich Police Lt. Aram Goshgarian said.
One officer rescued a girl who was trapped in the back of the car. The officer placed a tourniquet on the girl due to the severity of her injuries.
Two 17-year-olds from the car were taken by MedFlight to Mass General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Three 18-year-olds were taken by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"I know the girl who had the tourniquet applied had a pretty serious wound to her left leg. One of our officers - the initial responding one - had applied a tourniquet, which is interesting because he had just gone to some classes; we carry them now," LT. Goshgarian said.
Speed believed to be factor
Police the driver of the car was an 18-year-old male who was also injured. It's not clear where they were going and none of the teens was wearing a seatbelt.
Harwich police praised the actions of the responding officers, saying the situation could have been much worse if they had not been close by.
"if they hadn't happened to be where they were, you know, could we say ... could that fire have gotten worse and them not gotten out of the car, that girl? I would say .... in my opinion, he did save her life," he said.
Speeding an issue in neighborhood
Fabrizio Serena lives on Queen Anne Road and says speeding is a major issue in the neighborhood.
"I knew it going to happen sooner or later. Because they go too fast," Serena said.
Police say all five of the teens are from Brewster and are very fortunate to be alive.
"Obviously, there was some excessive speed involved, and there's an endangering factor here, but, at this point, there's no indication there was any alcohol and drugs involved," police said.
Police are still investigating the crash. It is unclear if any charges will be filed. Harwich police did not release the names of the driver or passengers.