Three Teenagers Thrown From S.U.V. and Killed in Brooklyn Highway Crash; Four Others Hurt

Three teenagers — the driver of an S.U.V. and two passengers — were thrown from the vehicle during a crash on a Brooklyn highway and pronounced dead at a hospital, the authorities said. Four other people were injured in the wreck.

Emergency medical crews rushed the three victims to a hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead. Paramedics treated four additional people hurt in the crash; the authorities did not immediately release the extent of their injuries or say whether they had been riding in the same S.U.V. or in another vehicle caught up in the collision.

Investigators with the Police Department's highway collision unit spent hours at the scene, photographing the damaged S.U.V., measuring marks on the pavement and mapping where the victims came to rest. Detectives did not immediately say what caused the driver to lose control, and they did not rule out speed, a mechanical failure or the actions of another motorist.

Safety researchers describe ejection as one of the most lethal outcomes in any crash. Federal data show that people thrown from vehicles are far more likely to die than those who remain inside, and seat belts sharply reduce the odds of being ejected. The authorities had not said whether the three teenagers were wearing restraints when the S.U.V. crashed.

The crash also underscores the heightened dangers that surround teenage drivers. In New York, junior license holders face limits on late-night driving and on the number of young passengers they may carry — restrictions written precisely because crash rates climb when teenagers travel together. Officials did not disclose the driver's license status or the victims' exact ages.

Brooklyn's highways have long carried a reputation for deadly wrecks. The borough's major arteries, including the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Belt Parkway, combine aging design, tight merges and heavy traffic, and transportation advocates have pressed for years for redesigns and stricter speed enforcement along them. Officials did not immediately identify the specific roadway where the crash occurred.

Detectives worked to notify the victims' families before releasing their names, a process that can take hours when relatives live outside the city. The four injured people remained under medical evaluation as officers interviewed witnesses and canvassed for dashboard-camera footage from drivers who passed through the area around the time of the crash.

The investigation will determine whether anyone faces charges. In fatal New York City crashes, the Collision Investigation Squad typically reconstructs a vehicle's movements second by second, and prosecutors review those findings before deciding on criminal counts. For three families now planning funerals instead of the school year ahead, any answers will arrive too late.