A crash in the early hours of Saturday morning left two teens dead and four others hurt after an SUV slammed into a utility pole in the town of Wellsville.
The collision happened around 2:24 a.m. on Tarantine Boulevard. According to New York State Police, a 2020 Buick Encore carrying six teens went off the road on a sharp curve and struck the pole on the driver’s side.
Two passengers — 17-year-old Derrick J. Smith and 18-year-old Gavin Odell, both from Canisteo — were killed in the crash. Smith was riding in the tailgate area of the SUV. Odell was sitting behind the driver. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Autopsies have been scheduled.
The 17-year-old driver and three other teens, ages 14, 15, and 16, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Jones Memorial Hospital.
State Police say there were no signs of impairment. The investigation is ongoing.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigation are assisting.
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