Driver Of Car That Crashed, Killing Four On Southern State Parkway, Out Of Hospital
MALVERNE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The teen driver involved in a wreck that claimed the lives of four friends is out of the hospital.
Joseph Beer, 17, was the sole survivor of Monday's crash near Exit 17 of the Southern State Parkway.
Beer was behind the wheel when his car slammed into trees in Malverne. The impact was so intense the car split into pieces. Everyone was thrown from the vehicle.
Four 18-year-old passengers - Darian Ramnarine, Christopher Khan, Neal Rajaba and Peter Kanhai - died instantly. The group were all said to be childhood buddies who grew up together in Queens.
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Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said there has been a lot of speculation as to what caused the horrific crash.
Sources told CBS 2 Beer has admitted the group was smoking marijuana before the crash.
"Blood from the driver has been sent to a lab to be screened for alcohol and drugs. While we hope to expedite those tests, the results may not be available for some time," she said Wednesday.
Rice said because Beer was driving a Subaru, her office has also contacted the car company.
"To determine if the vehicle had a black box from which data about the vehicle's speed can be downloaded," Rice said.
She said that, right now, no criminal charges have been filed.
Beer was driving with a learner's permit. However driving with a learner's permit is only allowed if someone 21 or older is in the car at the time.
So far, no criminal charges have been filed, but an announcement about the case is expected to be made later today.
The Southern State Parkway is one of the deadliest roads in the area, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported. AAA said that's due to poor lighting, heavy traffic and frequent speeding.
