5 Connecticut children killed in fiery crash on Hutchinson River Parkway

The latest on the crash investigation

Five children from Connecticut were killed in a fiery early morning crash on Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale, police said.

NEW YORK – Five children from Connecticut, ranging in age from 8 to 17, were killed in a fiery crash on a New York highway, police said.

Police believe the vehicle was being driven Sunday by a 16-year-old boy when it veered off the Hutchinson River Parkway, just north of the Mamaroneck Road exit, around 12:20 a.m. in Scarsdale, hit a tree and caught fire. 

A 9-year-old boy, the sixth person in the Nissan Rogue, was the only survivor, according to a statement provided by Kieran O’Leary, spokesperson for the Westchester County Police Department.

“Its the unimaginable.” Kieran OLeary

The 9-year-old was "apparently riding in the rear hatchback/cargo area and escaped out the rear," the statement said. The boy was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The five who were killed include four males and a female. Their identities have not yet been released. Police said they are all from Connecticut.

Matt Conway, the superintendent of schools in Derby, Connecticut, said he learned the children were part of a family that recently moved to the New Haven County community from New York, but had not enrolled in the district.

A 9-year-old boy was the only survivor of the crash, officials said. He was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Conway said he reached out to the father and offered to provide him information about available supports in the community for him and his family. He planned to talk with the father again Monday.

"It’s the unimaginable. Having to now make arrangements for five of your children to be buried is a very difficult thing for anyone — one child, never mind five that you’re going to have to now make arrangements for," Conway said.

The cause and circumstance of the incident remain under investigation by the Westchester County Police Accident Investigation Team and detectives from the General Investigations Unit. 

No other vehicles were said to be involved in the crash at the time.

The Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.