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| Derrick Ray, the father of Daylan Ray, surveys the crash site that claimed the life of his son and five other teens in Warren, Ohio. Two survived. No one in the vehicle had permission to drive it, police said |
Ohio State — A speeding sport utility vehicle taken without permission and carrying eight teens crashed into a guardrail Sunday morning and flipped over into a swampy pond in northeast Ohio, killing five boys and a woman, the state highway patrol said.
The Honda Passport veered off the left side of a road and overturned on Pine Avenue just south of the city of Warren, about 60 miles east of Cleveland, Lt. Anne Ralston said. Investigators say the SUV came to rest upside down in the swamp and sank with five of the victims trapped inside. A sixth, thrown from the vehicle during the crash, was found under it when it 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 a news conference that speed was a factor, although investigators still were trying to determine the speed at the time of the crash.
Toxicology reports were pending, Lieutenant Holt said.
No one in the vehicle had permission to take it, but there were no theft reports, Lieutenant Holt said. The vehicle was licensed to a resident of Youngstown, about 20 miles away, he said.
Lieutenant Ralston didn’t know where the teens were headed when the crash happened at about 7 a.m.
“All I know is my baby is gone,” said Derrick Ray, who arrived at 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 he didn’t know their plans.
A pile of blue, green, and copper-red stuffed bears grew at a makeshift memorial at the site along a two-lane road tightly bordered with guardrails on either side in an industrial area.
Notes at the memorial included 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 got five teens out of the submerged vehicle. Trumbull County Dive Team also assisted.
Two teens, both 15, arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest, said Julie Gill, St. Joseph Health Center nursing supervisor, and were pronounced dead there. She said they were treated for hypothermic drowning trauma, indicating they had been submerged in cold water.
The two who survived, 18-year-old Brian Henry and 15-year-old Asher Lewis, both of Warren, were treated for bruising and other injuries and released, she said.
All those killed were ages 14 to 19, authorities said. State police identified them as the 19-year-old driver, Alexis Cayson; Andrique Bennett, 14; Brandon Murray, 17, and Kirklan Behner, Ramone White, and young Ray, all 15. All were from Warren.
Rickie Bowling, 18, a friend of young Behner, sobbed at the scene. “He was one of a kind,” she said. “Everyone knew him in the neighborhood. In school, he always made everyone laugh.”
Miss Bowling said the tragedy highlighted the importance of savoring life. “Basically, enjoy every second in life,” she said. “Enjoy life while you’ve got it and while you’re here and enjoy people that you love.”
Jasmine McClintock, 22, a victim’s friend, said at the scene that it should be a warning for parents.
“I hope it’s an eye-opener for parents,” Ms. McClintock said. “That’s the part that boggles my mind. It’s like on a Sunday, if you’re not going to church, what are you doing at 7 a.m. out driving?” she asked.
Officials opened a school where several victims attended to provide counseling for families Sunday night. Superintendent Michael Notar called the crowded session heartbreaking and said counselors would be available today in schools.