Five teenagers died in a fiery car crash in Michigan on Saturday morning seconds after their Dodge Charger tore past a police squad car at more than 100mph.
The impact and flames at the wreck were so intense it took the medical examiner four days to officially identify the bodies of Jaquarius Hegler, 15, Marshawn Williams, 15, Elexus Hillsman, 16, Cortavian Murphy, 16, and Deztanee Cobb, 17, using dental records.
Dash-cam footage taken shortly before 1am shows the teens’ blue vehicle to be little more than a blur as it tears past the police car, prompting a pursuit.
The shocked officer in the car is taken aback by the speed of the Charger and radio in, ‘Yeah, I’m going to have to terminate it. It’s well over 100mph.’
However, after 90-seconds on the tail of the speeding car, the officer comes across the burning wreckage in a yard off the street.
He is heard to comment in the video that he thinks the car hit a tree hit that then hit a power line, starting the fire.
Investigators have not identified which of the teens was driving the car and have not said if they think drugs or alcohol were a factor.
At around 12.45am on Saturday a blue Dodge Charger sped past a police officer, showing up on the dash-cam for less than a second as a blue blur. The officer pursued the car but lost sight of it around a curve because it was going over 100mph
The officer found the car 90 seconds later engulfed in flames after the driver lost control and crashed into a power-line. Dash-cam footage shows him pulling over next to the blaze and calling for back-up
The crash occurred in front of a home in Comstock Township, Michigan outside of Kalamazoo
Marshawn Williams, 15, was one of the victims of the crash (left). Jacquarius Hegler, 15, was also killed in the crash (right)
Deztanee Cobb, 17, was a senior in high school with plans to study child psychology (left). Corravion Murphy, 16, was also killed in the fiery crash (right)
Elexus Hillsman, 16, was set to start college this fall before she was killed in the crash
More than 1,000 people attended a service for the teens on Wednesday evening.
A makeshift memorial of stuffed animals, flowers and balloons has been started at the crash site.
Four days after the crash, Elexus, 16, got a letter from Kalamazoo Valley Community College with information about the fall semester and ‘welcome week’ activities for new students, a family member told Mlive.
‘She was starting at Valley this year,’ her mother, Patrice Hillsman, said referring to KVCC. ‘She was going into the nursing program and then eventually she wanted to be an OB/GYN. So she had goals.’
Patrice said she and her husband Anthony also didn’t know where the teens were headed or what they were doing before the crash.
Before the body was identified, they found that other teens in the community were talking about who was in the car, naming Elexus among others.
Elexus, 16, is pictured using a Snapchat filter. Her mother Patrice said that her daughter had plans to become an OB-GYN
Deztanee’s mother, Tracey Taylor, described her as loyal, attentive and adventurous. She said the 17-year-old was ready to start her senior year in high school.
‘Everything for her was go hard or go home. She loved life and people,’ Tracey said.
Deztanee played sports and was an Advanced Placement student at Kalamazoo Central High School.
She planned to go to college and pursue a master’s degree in child psychology, her mother said.
‘I just wanted the world to know that Deztanee (known as DezaBoo) had visions and goals,’ Tracey said.
Deztanee, 17, is pictured. Her mother Tracey Taylor said her daughter ‘loved life and people’
Travell Jackson’s lost his brother Marshawn, 15, in the crash.
‘It’s not easy,’ Travell, 22, said. ‘It’s unexpected. We gotta try to get through.’
Marshawn was loyal, had a ‘funny personality’ and liked to goof around, according to Travell.
‘It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,’ he said.
Marshawn is pictured in a Facebook photo. His brother Travell said that he had a funny personality and loved to goof around
Jaquarius Helger, 15, is pictured on his Facebook profile under the nickname ‘BandMan Quay’
Corravion, 16, posted the selfie above on his Facebook account
Corravion’s mother Jamila Mcferrin posted about her son’s death on Facebook.
‘Driving my baby to school is something I will miss,’ she wrote. ‘I would throw a coat on and just drive him. My baby would say mom can we stop at McDonald’s I want a Mcgriddle and extra hash brown.’
Mcferrin said her son would pretend to miss the bus so he could ride to school with her.
She also posted about Jaquarius, calling him ‘nephew.’
‘Things [are] just not the same without you,’ she wrote. ‘I’m used to taking you around the world with us your smile light up the house and your hugs [were] so genuine this just not right.’
Jaquarius’s Facebook profile is under the nickname ‘BandMan Quay’. Jaquarius was only 15 years old.
Corravion used the name Tay Icewood on Facebook. The 16-year-old frequently posted photos of his mother’s cooking.
More than 1,000 people attended a service for the victims on Wednesday
Teisha Swindle was at the scene and was related to of one of the victims.
‘They’re some sweet kids, very sweet respectable kids,’ Teisha said.
Jessica Meski woke up to a loud ‘boom’ sound and then heard police sirens.
She and her husband went outside of their home and saw the ‘ball of fire’.
They had to stay on the other side of the road because police were worried their house might catch fire.