BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Three passengers died when a car crashed into a tree and caught fire in Brooklyn Sunday morning, authorities said.
The incident occurred near Fourth Avenue and the Shore Road Drive exit off the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge at around 7:45 a.m., police said. The three adults were trapped when the car went up in flames, police said.
They were pronounced dead at the scene.
“That’s sad. That’s really sad. Three families going through the worse thing you can explain,” Daniel Rodriguez said.
A fourth passenger survived the crash and was rushed to the hospital. He is in stable condition.
Investigators kept the entrance to the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge closed for hours as they carved the hood of the car off to remove the victims. some onlookers watched in disbelief, others said this stretch of road is prone to accidents.
Nelson Castor says speeding is an issue here and after having four accidents in a span of five years, he avoids the Belt altogether.
“I used take the Belt to Long Beach every day and I even left my job because of that,” said Castor.
Officials said it is too soon to know what caused this specific crash. And for now, they are not releasing the identity of the victims.
