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Three dead in Queens crash

Saturday, November 04, 2006

(New York - WABC, November 4, 2006) (WABC) -- In Queens, accident investigators continue their search for what caused a deadly crash this morning.

It happened near 144th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard.

The accident killed three people and injured three others. They remain hospitalized tonight at Jamaica Medical Center.

Eyewitness News reporter Carolina Tarazona has the latest.

Police say the driver caused this fatal car crash is no longer in police custody but there are three people dead tonight as the result of that deadly crash and three others remained hospitalized.

Three people dead, crushed inside this Dodge Neon.

Police say two men and one woman, 80-year-old, Jesse Rutlege, 47-year-old, Jesse Rutlege Jr., and 24-year-old, Zetteleen Smith, from Queens, were all inside the compact car this morning stopped at the intersection of 144th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard.

Police say at around 10 o' clock this morning, a Ford Windstar van rammed into the Dodge Neon, flattening it out. The van flipped over.

Neighbor: "People drive like crazy."

The driver of that van remains in stable condition tonight at Jamaica Hospital.

Two boys, an eleven-year-old and a three-year old, were in that vehicle. The eleven-year old is stable but the three-year old is in critical condition.

Police told Eyewitness News that no charges will be filed in this incident tonight yet the accident remains under investigation.

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