Teen Killed In Hit-And-Run On Saw Mill River Parkway; Police Interview Several People
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An 18-year-old driver died Monday following an early-morning hit-and-run accident in Yonkers, and CBS2 has learned police were interviewing several people of interests in the late night hours.
The teen died despite the best efforts of police and firefighters, CBS2's Fatima Rahmatullah reported.
According to police, an Acura TSX rear-ended a broken vehicle stranded under the McLean Avenue bridge along the Saw Mill River Parkway at around 2:50 a.m.
The suspects driving the Acura then got into another vehicle and drove away from the scene, police said.
The teen in the stranded vehicle, Zachary Dunn, died at Jacobi Medical Center. Hours before, he could be seen being pulled from a mangled wreck by rescue workers on the Saw Mill River Parkway.
First responders used hydraulic rescue tools to remove the roof of Dunn's car, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
"That's very crazy," said Luis Moquet. "He still got a life in front of him, but now what can he do?"
People who knew Dunn could not believe he was gone.
"Like everybody else, we just think it's a dream -- bad dream, and it will go away," said Dunn's neighbor, Mary Iandoli. "Very heartbroken – very, very heartbroken."
Iandoli visited Dunn's mother to express her sorrow.
Dunn graduated from Yonkers Palisade Preparatory high school in June and was going to start at SUNY-Westchester on Tuesday.
Police said Dunn was with a friend when his car broke down on the Saw Mill River Parkway early Monday morning. Police said Dunn's car had a flat tire, and he was waiting for a friend to bring a jack so it could be changed.
He pulled off to the shoulder under McLean Avenue and as Dunn waited for help, two vehicles were speeding north on the parkway out of the Bronx into Westchester County.
Witnesses said they were driving recklessly and thought they may have been drag racing.
The Acura smashed into Dunn's vehicle, while the driver fled the scene in a second car – also believed to be an Acura – with temporary New Jersey plates.
"How could somebody even do this? I mean, how could somebody do this to somebody else? I guess they got scared or whatever," Iandoli said.
Moquet also had a message for the people who left the crash scene.
"They should step up and turn themselves in," he said.
The passenger in Dunn's car was also injured, but he was alert and oriented as he was taken to the hospital.
Police told CBS2 they were making good progress in the investigation, and anticipate filing charges soon.