The investigation into a car crash that killed six teens has taken a turn after investigators discovered the 19-year-old driver did not have a license. According to a report from the Associated Press, the SUV they were riding in was reported stolen as well.
The two surviving passengers in the crash say that Alexis Cayson, the driver, sped on the roadway recklessly and was warned to slow down. Brian Henry, 18, and Asher Lewis, 15, barely escaped with their lives after Cayson lost control of the SUV and plunged into a pond. State Highway Patrol authorities gathered additional statements from the pair, who both said Cayson sped around a curve before the vehicle hit a guardrail and flipped.
“I blanked out for a little bit and then the truck was upside-down in the water,” said Henry to a state trooper. “There was air in the truck but it was filling with water. I used my right elbow to break out the back window.”
Cayson and five boys, Andrique Bennett, 14; Brandon Murray, 14; and 15-year-olds Kirklan Behner, Ramone White and Daylan Ray, perished at the scene of the crash right off a two-lane, 35-mph roadway. The eight passengers, all hailing from the town of Warren, did not wear seat belts. Excessive speed is the preliminary reason given for the crash. Yesterday (March 11), the owner of the 1998 Honda Passport reported the vehicle stolen. The teens had no prior relationship with the owner, or permission to operate the SUV.
Friends and family of the deceased have erected a makeshift memorial at the site of the accident. Lisa Williamson, the mother of one of Brandon Murray, expressed grief over the loss of her son. “If only he had listened,” said Williamson. “I told him, ‘Don’t you go nowhere.’ But they’re kids.”
Check out the pictures in the gallery of the crashed vehicle and some of the victims in the gallery. A warning: the images may be disturbing.
Photo: AP
