Six teenagers from Bedford were sent to local hospitals following a serious car crash. The single-car accident, which occurred on Oct. 1, seems to have been caused by speeding on the part of the 17-year-old driver. Thankfully, no one in the crash was killed. There is no word as to whether New York police will charge the driver as a minor.
According to the arrest record, it appears the teen had overloaded his vehicle with five passengers — two boys and three girls, 15, 19, 13, 14 and 16 years old. The teen reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which left the road and struck a tree with sufficient force to eject two of the passengers from the car. It is unclear if those individuals were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
None of the passengers or the driver were believed to have suffered from life-threatening injuries. The specific nature and extent of the injuries they did suffer were not elaborated upon in a media report concerning the accident. Presumably, family members of all individuals involved have been notified.
Given the age of the driver involved in this car accident, New York authorities will deal with the crash differently than if he had been an adult. However, the teen may still face legal repercussions, as could any owners of the vehicle he was operating. The families of the other injured teens may choose to file personal injury lawsuits, seeking financial relief from the driver and his parents in a civil court setting as well.
Source: lohud.com, “6 Bedford teens hurt in car crash“, Terence Corcoran, Oct. 2, 2014