BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Charges were filed Friday against a teenager accused of being behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle in a deadly crash.
Four teenagers died when investigators say a Kia Sportage crashed on the 33 near the 198 early Monday morning.
Officials say all five passengers were thrown from the vehicle, four of the passengers died. One passenger survived in addition to the driver.
On Tuesday, police identified the four teens who were killed:
- Marcus Webster, a 19-year-old man from Buffalo
- Swazine Swindle, a 17-year-old boy from Buffalo
- Kevin Payne, a 16-year-old boy from Buffalo
- Ahjanae Harper, a 14-year-old girl from Buffalo
The alleged driver was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty in family court Friday and was released under supervision with an ankle monitor device.
The crash is possibly related to a TikTok challenge encouraging vehicle theft, specifically of Kia models. Kia has since issued a statement and intends to provide anti-theft devices to Kia owners in Buffalo.
District Attorney John Flynn says his office is still investigating and because the car was destroyed, it's even more challenging to gather evidence. As the District Attorney works to gather more evidence and potentially file more charges, the defendant is free under supervision.
Judge Brenda Freedman explained that because they are non-qualifying charges, she has no power to detain the defendant. Judge Freedman says based on potential additional charges, she does believe he's a flight risk, so he was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and given a curfew.
The suspect has not been identified due to his age.
