A section of the Bronx River Parkway was shut down for hours after seven cars crashed on the highway, causing two fatalities, according to New York City police. 

NYPD said the accidents happened in the southbound lanes near East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx just after midnight Monday.

All southbound traffic was detoured off the highway at East 233rd Street as police investigated the pile-up. The lanes reopened at around 8:30 a.m., but the city DOT said drivers should expect residual delays. 

The collisions started when Mauricio Neyra Yuyes, 21, was driving a Mercedes sedan and changed lanes and struck a Volkswagen, which then hit a guardrail, police said. The Mercedes continued in the right lane where the driver struck two men on scooters, according to police. 

The men were ejected from their scooters and fatally injured in the collision. Both were pronounced dead at the hospital, NYPD said. They have been identified as Enrique Martinez, 21, and Manuel Amarentepenalo, 19.

Another accident followed involving three vehicles trying to avoid the traffic caused by the earlier crashes, police said.   

Neyra Yuyes has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired. 

Drivers were urged to use the Major Deegan Expressway as an alternate route heading southbound through the Bronx until the parkway reopened.