The third victim, Konstantin, was mourned by relatives in Brighton Beach. A fundraising campaign established to help his family with funeral costs described him as deeply loved and said his death had left those closest to him struggling to comprehend what happened.
According to police, none of the three victims was wearing a seat belt. All three were thrown from the Escalade after it struck a guardrail, spun and overturned. Two additional teenagers inside the vehicle were wearing seat belts and survived.
Investigators said Algahiem moved from the center lane toward the right before braking suddenly for slower traffic. The Escalade was then struck from behind by the Honda, sending both vehicles out of control.
The Honda ended up partially underneath the overturned Cadillac. The 46-year-old woman driving the Honda and her 44-year-old passenger were transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn with injuries described as stable.
