A 16-year-old driver is facing several counts of aggravated assault after an SUV crashed into a crowd of students in Lindenwold, Camden County, injuring six teenagers, police said.
Police believe the crash on Gibbsboro Road was the result of reckless driving and was not intentional. The investigation is continuing.
Surveillance video shows the SUV crashing into the group of students Tuesday afternoon.
The six teenagers who were struck range in age from 14 to 16, and one student was trapped underneath the SUV.
NBC10 has learned some of the victims are members of the soccer team at Lindenwold High School. The student who was pinned underneath the SUV is doing better, and all of the students are expected to physically recover.
Steven Mejia, a student, said the crash was a major topic of conversation at school.
“We’re just all sad and stuff. People were quiet and they should be quiet. Something like this should never happen,” Mejia said.
Christopher Barker went to the scene Wednesday morning, taping signs of encouragement to a fence damaged in the crash.
“My heart dropped last night. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about what happened, and it’s just sad,” Barker said.
Surveillance video shows commotion following the crash. NBC10 interviewed a witness who said he held the driver to keep him from leaving the area.
The 16-year-old driver is also facing a joyriding charge. Sources tell NBC10 the driver did not have a valid license and the SUV was not reported stolen.
Lindenwold School District leaders confirmed that several of the district’s students were injured in the crash.
“Today I hope we all hug our children a little longer and take a moment to share a kind thought, prayer, or expression of support for the children who are recovering,” the district said in a statement.
Student Dilmer Chirinos had a message for the driver.
“Be more careful. Don’t do that to innocent people,” he said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
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