Two teens narrowly escaped a car crash that killed six of their friends, in Northeast Ohio on Sunday.
The inside of the sport utility vehicle was entirely under water within minutes of the crash, said State Highway Patrol Lt. Brian Holt. Investigators remain puzzled why eight were in the speeding vehicle "without permission when it smashed into a guardrail and flipped over into the pond Sunday morning around daybreak" cbsnews.com reported. The vehicle was licensed to a resident of Youngstown, about 20 miles away from the crash.
The two teens who escaped are talking to investigators, believing speed may be the key factor leading to the crash. Whether drugs or alcohol may have played roles leading to the crash are still be investigated. "We will not be speculating on alcohol and-or drug usage pending toxicology reports,"
The Honda Passport veered off left side of a road and overturned about 60 miles east of Cleveland, according to State Highway Patrol Lt. . Investigators say Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston said. Investigators also "say it came to rest upside down in the swamp and sank with five of the victims trapped inside. A sixth was thrown from the SUV during the crash, was found under it when the vehicle was taken out of the water," according to the AP.
"All I know is my baby is gone," said Derrick Ray, who came to the crash site after viewing his 15-year-old son Daylan's body at the morgue.
The two survivors were 18-year old Brian Henry and 15-year-old Asher Lewis. They were treated for bruising and other injuries, and released from the hospital. All those killed were aged 14 to 19, authorities. State police identified the deceased as 19-year-old driver Alexis Cayson; Andrique Bennett, Brandon Murray, Kirlan Behner and Ramone White.
