Brooklyn Teen Identified as First Casualty in I-95 Ramp Accident

Five teenagers were travelling in a red Audi A4 when the driver lost control and struck the concrete barrier on the Playland Parkway exit ramp of Interstate 95. The single-car accident happened shortly after noon on June 4, causing police to close both ramps to the Playland Parkway for nearly six hours.

It appears the 18-year-old driver of the car was attempting to exit the freeway at a high speed when he failed to negotiate the curve. The vehicle left the roadway, crashing into the barrier between northbound and southbound traffic.Emergency responders had to transport all five teens to area hospitals.

While the driver and three of the passengers were all from Queens, one of the rear seat passengers was Vanessa Hoodith of Brooklyn. She was pronounced dead at Greenwich hospital shortly after the accident. Another passenger, 17-year-old Rajiv Sardjoe, died the following morning at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

State police are still investigating the accident, and have not filed any charges at the time of this writing.