Tragedy struck early yesterday morning in downtown Cleveland as a high-speed crash claimed the lives of two teenagers and left another critically injured. The incident occurred on Interstate 77 near the connection to I-90 East and Ontario Street at approximately 1:17 a.m., as reported by WKYC. Authorities say the vehicle was traveling northbound when it veered off the road into a grass median and rolled several times down an embankment.
According to the Cleveland Police, the vehicle was seen to pass other cars on the right before the accident quickly. "Police say the vehicle was traveling northbound on I-77 at a high rate of speed, repeatedly passing other vehicles on the right side of the roadway," as per an article by WKYC. All three occupants were ejected from the car, a grim outcome leading to immediate responses from emergency services.
An 18-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, while another young man of the same age was taken to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead. Cleveland19 News identified one of the deceased as Aidan Moreno of Painesville. A 17-year-old was also transported to the hospital, where he remains hospitalized and is receiving treatment for his injuries.
Cleveland Police believe that speed was to certainly have been a factor in the deadly occurrence. "Investigators believe speed was a factor in the deadly crash," police said, according to reporting by WKYC. The specifics regarding the severity of the injuries for the surviving teenager have not been released at this time. The incident is still under investigation as authorities work to piece together the full details of the crash.
