Police in Chester County, Pa. released new details about a car crash that took the lives of four young men over the July 4th Weekend.
The accident happened just before 1 a.m. Sunday morning along the 1300 block of Manor Road (Route 82) near Route 322 in West Brandywine Township, Pa., police said.
Collin McElroy, 16, and Jerry Warfel, 14, both of Honey Brook, Pa. and Kyle Marsh, 17, and Evan Pringle, 15, both of Coatesville, Pa. were all killed in the one-car crash, West Brandywine Township Police said Monday.
Police had clocked the boys going at a high rate of speed right before the wreck but the crash was in no way caused by a police chase, cops said Tuesday.
Police say that an officer clocked the teens driving about 73 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer pulled out from his hiding spot to trail the dark sedan but lost visual of the car after a second or two, cops said.
The officer then pulled over another motorist that had turned onto westbound Route 322 but quickly realized it wasn't the speeder, police said.
When the officer approached the car, police say the driver said to him "you want that car that just passed me."
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The car reportedly illegally passed at a high rate of speed, the driver told police.
The officer let the other driver go and then received word that there was debris back on Route 82.
The officer found a 1994 Honda Prelude belonging to McElroy crashed off the roadway. The driver of the car lost control -- possibly from bottoming out -- went up an embankment and struck a tree causing the roof of the vehicle to completely sheer off.
Police say that McElroy was the driver of the car, Marsh was in the front passenger seat and the other two teens were in the back.
The teens were not wearing seat belts and were all ejected from the wreck.
Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found at the wreck, cops said.
As police continued their investigation into the cause of the crash, a memorial grew at the scene Monday. Signs, balloons, flowers and crosses marked the site where the car came to a rest. But police were urging people to not stop at the site because of safety concerns. There is no shoulder and a few close calls have already been reported, cops said.
All four teens attended Coatesville Area School District. Grief counselors were made available to students and staff.
