
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police officers did not violate any laws when they responded to a June theft and subsequent car crash that killed three teens and injured another in Limerick Township, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.
The DA’s office said its investigation of the June 3 car crash determined the cause of the crash was due to an inexperienced, unlicensed driver operating a car at unsafe speeds, not the actions of police.
Limerick police were called to the Target at Ridge Pike and Township Line Road around 9 p.m. for a potential theft. Sources told KYW Newsradio the teens were attempting to steal laptops.
The DA’s office said the first officer to arrive saw a car pulling out of the parking lot and onto Kline Road with its headlights off.
The car turned left onto Ridge Pike, and the driver, who did not have a license, ignored police lights and sirens, officials said. She drove 1.8 miles in 1 minute and 33 seconds, going between 70 and 92 miles per hour.
The car went off the road near the Turtle Creek Golf Course, traveled over a grassy area for 91 feet, hit a utility pole, collided with a stone wall, and went airborne before coming to a stop.
Three teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene: Gabrel Cooper, Nasir Youk, and Siniyah Newsuan, each 17 years old. A 15-year-old whose name has not been released was seriously injured.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said his office, along with the community, shares the sadness of the families in the loss of their children.