Police: 2 killed in Newark crash involving stolen car
NEWARK, N.J. -- More is being learned about a deadly crash early Thursday morning.
Police say two people were killed after getting hit by a stolen car and added three teenagers in that vehicle are now at the hospital, CBS2's Kevin Rincon reported.
That accident happened at the intersection of Hawthorne and Elizabeth avenues in Newark at around 4:30 a.m. Two people inside one car were killed as that driver was making a left turn on a green light.
Investigators say the driver of the stolen car was speeding down the road when they collided.
Surveillance video shows the immediate aftermath of the violent impact as the stolen Dodge Charger burst into flames. It slid out of control down the block before stopping along the opposite side of the road.
"Car was coming down, it was a Charger coming down Elizabeth Avenue. Guy was at the light, he had the right of way. Just came in and hit the car," a nearby 7-Eleven manager said.
Passengers were seen crawling out of the car as smoke billowed up into the air. The Essex County Prosecutors Office said there were three women inside, all of whom are now recovering at the hospital. There was no immediate word of any charges, but the vehicle they were in was reported stolen on Wednesday in Union, police said.
Car theft in the area has been an issue.
"I have a car stolen in my lot once a week," the 7-Eleven manager said.
To give you an idea of the impact, the wreck, though some 200 feet away, left him cleaning up the pieces.
"When the impact happened the battery from the car flew and shattered the glass," the manager said.
The high-speed crash is something people in the area said they are concerned about, adding it was part of an ongoing trend.
"It's bad. They are out of control," one person said. "That's why I drive 20 mph, like I'm an old lady."
"People be driving crazy around here. There's a lot of car accidents, too," another added.
The Essex County prosecutor is trying to account for everyone that was in that stolen car, Rincon reported.