NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A teen boy is facing manslaughter charges after a deadly crash on Staten Island killed three teenagers, including his girlfriend, last year, police said Thursday.
The unidentified 17-year-old was arrested Wednesday on Staten Island and charged with three counts of manslaughter, six counts of assault and three counts of reckless endangerment for the horrific July 10 crash in Tottenville.
Police said the boy was speeding in a Ford Mustang on Hylan Boulevard when he collided with the 2017 GMC Yukon at Richard Avenue just before 8:50 p.m.
At the time, the then-16-year-old was driving with a learner's permit without an adult in the Mustang.
The Mustag then crashed into a nearby tree, splitting in two before careening into a telephone pole and coming to a stop. Backseat passengers Ashley Rodriguez and Jessie Gil, both 15, were fatally ejected, while Jessie’s 16-year-old sister Fernanda, who was in the front, was also killed in the crash.
Relatives previously told the Daily News that the Mustang driver, who was critically injured, was Ashley's boyfriend, and he was driving her home at the time.
The five GMC Yukon occupants were taken with minor injuries to Staten Island University Hospital North. The Yukon driver was arrested for allegedly driving without a valid license.
Although it is unclear why it took nearly 10 months to charge the teen driver, police told the New York Post that the delay was caused by a "extensive investigation."
The Staten Island District Attorney did not immediately respond to the Post's questions about why the investigation took so long.
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