3 Killed After Car Speeds Past Dead End Sign, Plunges Into Newtown Creek In Long Island City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Three men are dead after their car plunged into Newtown Creek in Queens early Saturday morning.
Witnesses told CBS2's Christina Fan the driver was speeding down Borden Avenue in Long Island City and the car appeared to accelerate as it barreled past a dead end sign and into the creek.
Witnesses said the car clipped a concrete barrier at the end of the road, propelling it and those inside into the water below.
Police are investigating how the car wound up in the creek.
More witnesses said they frantically called 911 around 4:40 a.m. But it was still dark and the responding officers could not see the sinking car at first.
Rescuers arrived and pulled the men who were trapped inside the car to shore.
"Within 10 minutes after that we had divers in the water and approximately 10 minutes after that, we recovered two victims and pulled them out of the water," said FDNY Deputy Chief Fred Mallett.
The deputy chief said there was a third victim.
Video that is too graphic to air shows paramedics trying to revive the men and continuously performing chest compressions. The men did not survive.
Investigators remained at Borden Avenue, trying to figure out how fast the driver was going.
People who know the area well told CBS2 it's possible that neither the driver nor the passengers noticed the dead end sign.
Two of the victims have been identified as 30-year-old Luis Cuadros and 25-year-old Quameek Mack. The third victim has not been identified.
Mack was a budding rap artist who just dropped a new song.
His family described him as a hardworking and devote family man. His two uncles and aunt are now completely heartbroken by his sudden and tragic death.
"It's real hard right now," Amir Aalaam, Mack's uncle, said. "My family is really hurting right now."
"This is devastating," uncle Ahmed Aalaam said.
His family says Mack grew up in Roslyn and Roosevelt before settling in Freeport, Long Island.
The father of two young children also had a new baby on the way with his girlfriend.
His family believes he may have been out promoting his new music just before the crash.
"He was a very lovable kid. Had a contagious smile," aunt Amani Aalaam said.
"He was creative as far as like dancing, art. His dancing is really what got him known before even his music," Ahmed Aalaam said.
CBS2 News also spoke to Cuadros' family at his apartment in Elmhurst, where many of his loved ones were gathered.
They say he was married and and absolutely adored. They too are devastated by his death.
Meanwhile back in Freeport, Mack's closeknit family remains in shock, still coming to terms with what's happened.
"He's not supposed to go before us. I'm very proud of what he stood for," Amir Aalaam said.
These siblings are now supporting their sister, Mack's mother, as she copes with her overwhelming grief, as well as preparing to say goodbye to a nephew who they say was more like a little brother.
CBS2's Christina Fan and Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.
