Speeding a factor in Ohio crash that killed six teens, police say

This Sunday, March 10, 2013 photo shows a Honda Passport that crashed into a guardrail and flipped over into a swampy pond Sunday morning in Warren, Ohio. Highway Patrol officials say speed was a factor in the violent early morning crash of the vehicle that killed six teenagers in northeast Ohio. / AP Photo/Tom Sheeran

Updated 8:47 a.m. ET

WARREN, Ohio Investigators are focusing on speeding as a key factor in the crash of a sport utility vehicle carrying eight teenagers in northeast Ohio that slammed into a guardrail and flipped over into a swampy pond, killing five boys and the young woman driving, the state highway patrol said.

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Teen car crash: Speeding may have been factor, investigators say

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Car crash kills six teenagers in Ohio

The SUV had been taken without permission, authorities said.

The Honda Passport veered off the left side of a road and overturned just south of the city of Warren, about 60 miles east of Cleveland, Lt. Anne Ralston said. Investigators say it came to rest upside down in the swamp and sank with five of the victims trapped inside. A sixth, who was thrown from the SUV during the crash, was found under it when the vehicle was taken out of the water.

The two boys who survived escaped from the submerged vehicle and ran a quarter-mile to a home to call 911, the highway patrol said.

State Highway Patrol Lt. Brian Holt said at an evening news conference that speed was a factor, although investigators were still trying to determine the speed at the time of the accident.

"We will not be speculating on alcohol and/or drug usage pending toxicology reports," Holt said.

No one in the vehicle had permission to take it, but there were no theft reports, Holt said. The vehicle was licensed to a resident of Youngstown, about 20 miles away, he said.

After the news conference, the gates of an impound lot were opened to show the wreck, with windows smashed and extensive damage to the front end, hood and roof.

Ralston didn't know where the teens were headed when the crash happened at about 7 a.m. and Holt said later it wasn't clear how long they had been out.

Mindy Morgan reads a note at the memorial where six teens were killed in a car crash on Park Ave. in Warren, Ohio on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

/ AP Photo/Scott R. Galvin

"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 county morgue. He said he knew that his son, a talented football player who was looking forward to playing in high school, was out with friends, but didn't know their plans.

A pile of blue, green and copper-red stuffed bears grew at a makeshift memorial at the crash site along a two-lane road tightly bordered with guardrails on either side in an industrial area. The sport utility vehicle had sheared off tall cattails along the guardrail.

There were also notes at the memorial, including a letter from Daylan Ray's 12-year-old half-sister, Mariah Bryant, who said she had learned they were related only in the past year.

"It hurts, it really does, because they are so young and, like, they could have had so much more to life," she said. "We just really started getting close, and it's hard to believe he's gone."

Warren Fire Department Capt. Bill Monrean said a cold water rescue team was deployed to the scene and got five teens out of the submerged vehicle.

"Being a cold water rescue situation, cold water extends life," Monrean told AP Radio. "We knew we had a chance; even being in there a while."

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[Sgreenovich]

My friend is in probation, I would be crushed if he died in a car accident for having done something so small.
<a href="http://www.bronsonco.com/en">personal injury attorney vancouver</a>

[theworldisscrewed]

8 teenagers in stolen SUV made for 5 passangers and being driven by over the speed limit by the one female in the group.

If that's not natural selection, I don't know what is.

[sooyiban]

Agree! Behind every irresponsible juvenile delinquent is an irresponsible parent. The parents of these kids were uniformly negligent in their parental responsibilities.

[chris76543]

"Behind every irresponsible juvenile delinquent is an irresponsible parent"

Not necessarily. I should have been killed driving drunk when I was a kid, but I lived through the crazy days. One parent said she told the kid not to go anywhere, but he did "you know kids" she says - there won't be any trouble from these kids anymore. Glad they didn't kill an innocent driver/family coming in the other direction.

[ibjackiej]

Such a shame. At least the questions can be answered by the two survivors. Where were you going at that time of day? Why was there only one girl who was the oldest and she was the driver? What were 15, 17 and 19 year olds doing out together?

[oldoc44]

A public viewing for this wrecked hulk MIGHT help encourage parents to have a serious sit-down with their kids but keep in mind so much of what they feel they can do behind the wheel and elsewhere in their world is based on their "virtual experiences" on their "devices" where cars always perform like stunt cars and everyone is ok after a wreck or where you can press the re-set button and play the game all over again. These kids need some reality - real world - orientation/teaching on driving as well as other behaviors! We'll probably never learn if alcohol was involved - not that it's anyone's business anyway.

[chris76543]

Wow.. get a grip. Of course we'll learn if alcohol and/or (traceable) drugs were involved, and since you're talking about teaching lessons, we'll hear once again the perils of poor decisions and bad behaviour, but most kids don't learn unless it hits them personally.

[notparicular]

For the same speed and the same turn circle SUVs are always more prone to turn upside down because their center of gravity is higher.

[Baby_Boy_Jesus]

We had the same thing happen to three of our girls near Shiloh Oh On a friday night, The Head Cheerleader and two of her friend where going to a Basketball game as they drove down a country road, they crossed a small bridg that had a sharp turn and a little hill that was covered with ICE, the pick-up spun around and hit the low cable and flipped over it and landed upside down--They had their seat belts on--And we lost three BEAUTIFUL LADIES that cold night. It can happen, it doesn't always mean their is speed,,Weather can do a lot..One of the Girl's baby sat my boys and it was a long time to get over it. We dont even want to be on the road-and again the road is closed--Why we dont know for 2 years. The only GRACE we have is that they are with JESUS and HE IS HOLDING THEM and TELLING THEM HOW MUCH HE LOVES THEM! we'LL SEE THEM AGAIN some day!!

[st247]

Putting aside the sarcasm from both sides, there are some valid comparisons to be made. If the unfortunate and tragic deaths of these teens - bless them, and condolences to their families and most surely many friends - were in any way related to firearms, and add in "unauthorized use" (as was the case here with the vehicle), various investigations would be undertaken concerning whose firearms, who had access, who didn't, whether the firearms were stored securely, and many other factors. Likely, charges would be brought against the owner of the firearms, ranging from at the least, multiple charges of endangering the welfare of a child, various laws requiring secure storage, and on up through a number of possible full-fledged felony charges including assault, accessory to manslaughter, or manslaughter itself.
If the driver, who presumably is the person who took the SUV without persmission and provided direct "access" to it, had taken firearms and thus provided such "access" to them, and survived whatever firearms "accident" ensued, she also would be charged in similar serious fashion, i.e., misdemeanors and felonies, not mere "violations."
Given our societal values and culture, however, this tragic "vehicular accident" will be viewed as only that. The owner of the SUV will not be charged for not properly securing what is most certainly a "deadly weapon" when in the wrong hands or used improperly, just as a firearm would be considered.
Far more children, teens, and young adults are seriously injured or die as a result of vehicular "accidents" than as a result of a firearms related "accidents." [While gun-related homicides are significant, gun-related suicides account for the majority of gun-related death.]
This is not to suggest that we should dumb down firearm laws and regulations - concerning safe and secure storage, for example - to be equitable with the virtual lack of such vehicular sanctions. Quite the opposite. More should be done to reduce deaths and injuries, with appropriate post-incident sanctions, that are vehicle related.

[mollydtt]

I understand your concern, but cars are used for other purposes other than what you use a fire arm for.
The unfortunate and careless use of a car can cause death or injury. Most of the use is for more productive purposes.
Firearms can be used for self-protection, but pretty much any outcome from using a firearm is in order to maim or kill someone (something). Almost always.
I don't think the comparison is fair.
Kids have to ride in cars, but they don't *have* to carry a gun in order to get to where they are going.

[chris76543]

go to a different board. few people are intentionally killed by a car.

[nand1ka]

The only two that survived were probably not wearing their seat belts.

[Candide8]

SUV's are dangerous vehicles and are involved in a disproportionately high number of fatal accidents.

[canucken275]

Right, and that combined with an overloaded vehicle driven by an inexperience and most likely distracted driver. This wasn't the fault of the vehicle.

[lsu_tiger_fan_72]

My sister was broad sided in her Tahoe with her 2 children in it. SUV ended up on the roof and everyone was fine. There is nothing wrong with the SUV except the person behind the wheel.

This is what happens when inexperience is mixed with irresponsibility.

I see these kind of drivers almost on a daily basis thinking the open road is NASCAR.

[Oblio2011]

Thanks to DST it was probably still dark and dangerous at 7am. How sad.