'Beyond Reckless' Driver Cuts Short Lives of 4 Teens

"I thought there was a shooting, and then realized it was a crash." So said a witness to a deadly and ear-piercing car crash in Yonkers, New York, Tuesday night, in which a speeding driver slammed into a sedan so forcefully it split the car in two. Inside that sedan were four recent high school grads; all were killed, as was the 36-year-old driver of the speeding Infiniti. The New York Times reports police had attempted to stop driver Devon Haywood prior to the crash; he pulled over momentarily but then sped off at speeds officials described as "beyond reckless."

NBC New York reports that police have emphasized they were not speeding after Haywood when the crash happened. He collided with the sedan as it drove through an intersection. The AP reports debris from the crash was scattered over three blocks. "Four young lives were cut short by the recklessness of one individual," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. The 18-year-olds have been identified as Brandon Sierra, Randy Brisbane, Tamari Watkins, and Anthony Cruz. (More car crash stories.)