Investigators
are probing the possibility that the 16-year-old driver in Sunday’s fatal and
fiery single-vehicle crash fell asleep or was distracted before leaving the
Hutchinson River Parkway.

Officials
released the names Monday of the five young people killed in the crash that
occurred around 12:20 a.m. between exits 12 and 13, north of the Mamaroneck
Road exit.

They
are Andrew Billips, 8, Shawnell Cross, 11, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Malik Smith, 16,
and Anthony Billips Jr., 17. Investigators say the family had recently moved to
Derby, Connecticut, from the New York City area, roughly 50 miles north of
where the crash occurred.

MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://westchester.news12.com/police-5-juveniles-from-connecticut-killed-in-fiery-single-vehicle-crash-in-scarsdale">Police: 5 juveniles from Connecticut killed in fiery single-vehicle crash in Scarsdale</a>

A
9-year-old boy, Abraham Billips, was the lone survivor. He was riding in the rear
hatchback cargo area and was able to escape the burning car by crawling out the
back of the vehicle. He suffered injuries not considered life-threatening.

In
a news conference, Westchester County George Latimer said that Smith did not
have a driver’s permit or license in either New York or Connecticut. He also
said that Nissan Rogue SUV was a rental from a relative.

Latimer
said there was no indication that the vehicle had slowed around a curve in the
road before leaving the roadway, striking a boulder, then a tree and bursting
into flames. He also said that speed was not a factor and an eyewitness said
that he was traveling the limit (55 mph).

It
is not clear if Smith or the passenger were wearing seat belts or exactly where
they were coming from. Latimer said an unverified report had them returning
from a family function in New Jersey.

He
also said that the relationships between those inside the vehicle were not
immediately clear but did include at least two sets of siblings.

The
juveniles were not enrolled at any Connecticut school. Smith had been enrolled
at a Brooklyn high school, Latimer said.

"This
was a horrific accident. This was a horrific accident site," said Latimer.
"We grieve with the families involved...these were individuals that had
their whole life ahead of them."

Latimer
said he hopes more details will come to light in the next 48 hours.

In a news conference, Westchester County George Latimer said that 16-year-old Malik Smith did not have a driver’s permit or license in either New York or Connecticut. He also said that Nissan Rogue SUV was a rental from a parent.

Latimer: 16-year-old driver may have fallen asleep in Scarsdale crash that killed 5

Authorities say a gas station convenience store in Central Valley was robbed at gunpoint during the morning commute Friday.&nbsp;

Town of Woodbury police say the suspect flashed what appeared to be a handgun at&nbsp;a&nbsp;Sunoco location on Route 32 just before 7&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;

They say cash and&nbsp;merchandise&nbsp;were stolen and that the suspect ran off&nbsp;but&nbsp;was seen on surveillance video nearby getting into a car.&nbsp;

Town of Woodbury police say the suspect flashed what appeared to be a handgun at a Sunoco location on Route 32 just before 7 a.m. 

Central Valley gas station convenience store robbed at gunpoint

Minisink Valley is now the latest Hudson Valley school district to retire their mascot.&nbsp;

District officials say they’re instead using a MV logo following a statewide Education Department directive that orders all public schools do away with Native American mascots or else face strict penalties.&nbsp;

Minisink Valley will still use the name "Warriors."

News 12 previously reported on how the order impacts other districts&nbsp;like&nbsp;Mahopac and Wappingers - both known as the Indians.&nbsp;

Wappingers says it has retired its mascot, but&nbsp;Mahopac district officials say they haven’t and had no further comment.&nbsp;

Minisink Valley retires Native American mascot

A man is facing charges in connection to a burglary in Dutchess County.

They say it happened on Carroll Street in the City of Poughkeepsie around 8 a.m. Sunday.   

A caller reported 43-year-old Dennis Cornick left a home when someone living there confronted him.

He's charged with felony burglary and the misdemeanor of petit larceny.

Cornick has made his first court appearance and was taken to Dutchess County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Man charged with burglary in Dutchess County

A citywide singing competition is officially underway in Westchester County.

Registration is now open for the 15th annual Yonkers Idol Search.

The free, three-round event is for Yonkers residents ages 15 through 19.

Auditions&nbsp;will be at Lincoln High School on April 1 at 5 p.m.

The winner is awarded the title for a year and participation in a variety of citywide events and programs.

There are also restrictions in place for the final showcase.   &nbsp;&nbsp;

TUNE IN: Registration opens for Yonkers Idol Search

News 12 Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Matt Hammer says it will be a mild day as spring arrives but there is a chance for rain later in the week.

FORECAST: TODAY:&nbsp; Sunny, a bit breezy (SW 10-20 MPH), but overall a great weather day with highs around 52 degrees. NORMAL AVERAGE HIGH: 49 degrees. UV INDEX: 5 (MODERATE). VERNAL EQUINOX aka SPRING ARRIVES:&nbsp;5:24 p.m.&nbsp;-&nbsp;First sunset of spring will be great at&nbsp;7:07 p.m.

TONIGHT: Mainly clear and chilly with lows around 34 degrees.

TUESDAY: PICK OF THE WEEK - FIRST FULL DAY OF SPRING -- Mostly sunny to partly cloudy - warmer with highs around 58 degrees. Lows near 37 degrees.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy - some breaks of sun through early afternoon. A few spotty showers during the evening and overnight. Highs around 55 degrees. Lows near 44 degrees.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy - not a washout, but there will be a few scattered showers possible. Warmer - Highs around 62 degrees. Lows near 50 degrees.

FRIDAY: POSSIBLE WEATHER TO WATCH -- Mostly cloudy with periods of rain showers likely. Highs around 62 degrees. Lows near 44 degrees.

SATURDAY: WEATHER TO WATCH -- Periods of rain likely. A bit windy. Slight chance for some mixing North of I-84. Most of this will be in the form of rain, but it will just be a nasty start to the weekend. Highs around 53 degrees. Lows around 40 degrees.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny - Breezy - Highs around 55 degrees. Lows around 41 degrees.

Mild with temperatures in the 50s today as spring arrives; chance for rain by midweek

Bedford police say they
have tracked down the owners of two donkeys that recently went missing.

Officers found the
animals wandering on Pound Ridge Road on Friday.

The owners picked the
donkeys up Saturday morning.

Police say they named
the donkeys after Officers Williams and Leone because they found and cared for
the animals. The police department posted pictures of their encounter on
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BedfordNY.Police/posts/592122159617392">Facebook</a>.

Police say they named the donkeys after Officers Williams and Leone because they found and cared for the animals.

Bedford police officers locate owners of wandering donkeys

Rick Pitino is set to become the new men's basketball coach at St. John's.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the school had not yet made the announcement. Pitino is expected to be formally introduced by St. John's during a news conference Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The move puts the Hall of Fame coach back in the Big East Conference, looking to boost a storied St. John's program that's been mired in mediocrity for much of this century.

Following a successful run at nearby mid-major Iona, the 70-year-old Pitino was plucked away to replace Mike Anderson, fired March 10 after four seasons in charge of the Red Storm without making the NCAA Tournament.

Reports quickly surfaced that indicated St. John's planned to target Pitino, who grew up on Long Island not far from the school's Queens campus in New York City.

Pitino has been to seven Final Fours and won a pair of NCAA championships, one each at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013). 

He was dismissed at Louisville in 2017 after an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption led to allegations of NCAA violations. It was the third scandal, professional and personal, in an eight-year period with the Cardinals - but Pitino was eventually exonerated in the FBI-related case.

Pitino has been coaching college basketball so long that he was on the opposing bench with Big East rival Providence when St. John's was a national power in the mid-1980s under Lou Carnesecca.

Now, he's tasked with invigorating a Red Storm squad that hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game - or even reached the Big East semifinals - since 2000. The school has made only three NCAA appearances over the past two decades, the most recent coming in 2019 under Chris Mullin.

During that time, through several conference reconfigurations, St. John's has fallen behind Big East foes with similar profiles such as Villanova, Providence and Seton Hall.

The Red Storm went 18-15 during a turbulent 2022-23 season, including 7-13 in Big East play to finish eighth in the conference standings. They blew a 14-point lead against sixth-ranked and top-seeded Marquette in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals, ending the season with a 72-70 loss in overtime that left Anderson with a 68-56 record at St. John's.

Pitino has a .740 winning percentage in 34 full seasons as a college basketball coach. He has guided five schools to the NCAA Tournament, including Boston University (1983) and Iona (2021, 2023).

He took a surprising Providence team on a memorable run to the 1987 Final Four, but the 2013 national title Pitino won at Louisville (then in the Big East) was later vacated by the NCAA after an investigation found an assistant coach paid escorts and exotic dancers to entertain players and recruits in campus dorms.

After two years coaching in Greece, he got the job at Iona - a small, private Catholic school located in New Rochelle, just north of New York City.

Pitino went 64-22 in three years with the Gaels, guiding them to two regular-season titles in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Seeded 13th this year, they led No. 4 seed UConn at halftime before getting knocked out in the first round with an 87-63 loss that snapped a 14-game winning streak. 

Leading up to the game, Pitino said he hopes he can coach for 12 more years.

“But I’ll take six or seven,” he said.

He said it would take "a special place” for him to consider leaving Iona, but he also spoke about how much he admired St. John’s president, the Rev. Brian Shanley, who previously worked at Providence.

Pitino had two stints in the NBA, one with the New York Knicks that featured a division title and a failed stretch with the Boston Celtics that didn’t produce a playoff appearance. 

But in college, he's endured only one losing season (13-14 at BU in 1980-81).

And now, at a time when Hall of Fame coaching contemporaries like Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim have reached the end of their road, Pitino is going strong and getting new jobs.

St. John's has the ninth-most wins among Division I teams, with 90 winning seasons in its 116-year basketball history. 

The school has reached two Final Fours (1952, 1985) and won the NIT a record six times - including back-to-back crowns in the 1940s when that event was still often considered the country's premier postseason tournament.

The move puts the Hall of Fame coach back in the Big East Conference, looking to boost a storied St. John's program that's been mired in mediocrity for much of this century. 

Rick Pitino accepts coaching job at St. John's

Voters in the Hudson Valley will head to the polls Tuesday for village elections.

The following villages are holding elections for mayor and trustee spots: Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Pelham Manor, Pleasantville, Port Chester, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Hillburn, Montebello, New Square, Pomona, Upper Nyack, Cornwall, Florida, Goshen, Greenwood Lake, Harriman, Highland Falls, Maybrook, Montgomery, Otisville, South Blooming Grove, Unionville, Walden, Washingtonville and Red Hook.

A special election in Dobbs Ferry will offer voters a chance to weigh in on whether cannabis dispensaries will be allowed to operate in the village.

Voters to head to the polls Tuesday for village elections across the Hudson Valley

Service changes goes into effect today for Bee-Line bus service.

The changes are aimed at improving weekday and Sunday service for passengers.

Click<a href="https://transportation.westchestergov.com/bee-line"> here </a>for more information.

Service changes for Bee-Line buses go into effect today

OSHA crews are expected to be at the scene of last week's crane collapse in Hawthorne today.

The collapse happened Friday where an Amazon warehouse is being built on Saw Mill River Road.

MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://westchester.news12.com/police-2-injured-following-crane-collapse-at-amazon-warehouse-construction-site-in-hawthorne">Police: 2 injured in crane collapse at Amazon warehouse construction site in Hawthorne</a>

The warehouse is set to open in the fall.

Two construction workers were injured when it fell. One had to have part of a leg amputated.

OSHA expected to be at scene of Hawthorne crane collapse today

The oldest living resident in Putnam Valley is getting recognized by town officials.

Today is officially Florence Clifton Day following a unanimous vote. Clifton will turn 105 on Tuesday.

Clifton's family held a fire truck parade this weekend to celebrate her big day and all her contributions to the community throughout her many years.

Clifton was presented with a proclamation signed by the entire town.

Putnam Valley marks today as Florence Clifton Day in honor of 105-year-old

Clarkstown police say they discovered human remains in the basement of a home on Ruth Drive in New City on Sunday.

Detectives say they were called to the home for a welfare check on an elderly resident who had not been heard from for a long time.

Family members told detectives that a strong odor was coming from the basement.

Officials say they discovered the odor - and heavily decomposed human remains. Police don't believe the death is suspicious.

Anyone with information is asked to call Clarsktown police at 845-639-5800.

Detectives say friends and family alerted them after not hearing from the person who lived at the home.

Police: Human remains found in basement of New City home

Daily poll question for News 12 Westchester. and Hudson Valley.

News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley Daily Poll

Amazon plans to eliminate 9,000 more jobs in the next few weeks, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff on Monday. 

The job cuts would mark the second largest round of layoffs in the company's history, adding to the 18,000 employees the company said it would lay off in January. 

In the memo, Jassy said the second phase of the company's annual planning process completed this month and led to the additional job cuts. He said Amazon will still hire in some strategic areas. 

“Some may ask why we didn’t announce these role reductions with the ones we announced a couple months ago. The short answer is that not all of the teams were done with their analyses in the late fall; and rather than rush through these assessments without the appropriate diligence, we chose to share these decisions as we’ve made them so people had the information as soon as possible,” Jassy said. 

The job cuts would mark the second largest round of layoffs in the company's history.

Amazon to lay off 9,000 employees on top of 18,000 in January

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the New York Public Library has compiled 365 books by women authors from across the globe to keep the celebration going all year long.&nbsp;

This list includes a vast range of women authors. Below are a few of their picks:

Voices From Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich

A journalist by trade, who now suffers from an immune deficiency developed while researching this book, presents personal accounts of what happened to the people of Belarus after the nuclear reactor accident in 1986, and the fear, anger, and uncertainty that they still live with. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chernobyl-Belarussian-Literature-Svetlana-Alexievich/dp/1628973307/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Svetlana+Alexievich%2C+Voices+From+Chernobyl&amp;qid=1614782360&amp;sr=8-1">See more about the book here</a>.

From the author of the beloved bestseller Garden Spells comes a beautiful, haunting story of old loves and new. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Lake-Sarah-Addison-Allen/dp/1250019826/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Lost+Lake+by+Sarah+Addison+Allen&amp;qid=1614782440&amp;sr=8-1">See more about the book here</a>.

Isabel Allende introduces her most enchanting creation, Eva Luna - a lover, a writer, a revolutionary, and above all a storyteller. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eva-Luna-Novel-Isabel-Allende/dp/1501117084/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Eva+Luna%2C+Isabel+Allende&amp;qid=1614782570&amp;sr=8-1">See more about the book here</a>.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Know-Why-Caged-Bird-Sings/dp/0345514408/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=I+Know+Why+The+Caged+Bird+Sings+by+Maya+Angelou&amp;qid=1614782757&amp;sr=8-1">See more about the book here</a>.

Set in a small English village during 1812, this classic novel is one of the greatest love stories ever told. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486284735/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&amp;aaxitk=mL3uei-j3TuQZrCJiH-CTg&amp;hsa_cr_id=8935490680001&amp;pd_rd_plhdr=t&amp;pd_rd_r=cc0b689a-62ff-4ee9-b5d9-b4519ed5e48c&amp;pd_rd_w=NNCUy&amp;pd_rd_wg=CYUFm&amp;ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_title">See more about the book here</a>.

Jane Eyre possesses neither the great beauty nor entrancing charm that her fictional predecessors used to make their way in the world. Instead, Jane relies upon her powers of diligence and perception, conducting herself with dignity animated by passion. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Eyre-Charlotte-Bronte/dp/1512044555/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Jane+Eyre+by+Charlotte+Bronte&amp;qid=1614782944&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-2-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFSUjkxNTVUTTBCNkMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA3OTU1MTZIVlQ2S0lWNkMyNzYmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDAxMzcxMkE1QktWSE8xTUpRNyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=">See more about the book here</a>.

Emily Brontë's only novel endures as a work of tremendous and far-reaching influence. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wuthering-Heights-Penguin-Classics-Bront%C3%AB/dp/0141439556/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Wuthering+Heights+by+Emily+Bronte&amp;qid=1614783029&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-3">See more about the book here</a>.

In these brilliant poems, Rita Dove treats us to a panoply of human endeavor, shot through with the electrifying jazz of her lyric elegance. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bus-Rosa-Parks-Poems-ebook/dp/B00RQ4SUO6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=On+the+Bus+With+Rosa+Parks+by+Rita+Dove&amp;qid=1614785035&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1">See more about the book here</a>.

The Morning They Came for Us by Janine di Giovanni

A masterpiece of war reportage, The Morning They Came for Us bears witness to one of the most brutal internecine conflicts in recent history. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morning-They-Came-Us-Dispatches/dp/1631492950/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=The+Morning+They+Came+for+Us+by+Janine+di+Giovanni&amp;qid=1614785079&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1">See more about the book here</a>.

A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Mockingbird-Harper-Lee/dp/0060935464/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=To+Kill+A+Mockingbird+by+Harper+Lee&amp;qid=1614785118&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1">See more about the book here</a>.

Credit: <a href="https://www.nypl.org/blog/2017/03/08/365-books-women-authors-international-womens-day">New York Public Library</a>

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the New York Public Library has compiled 365 books by women authors from across the globe to keep the celebration going all year long. 

10 books by women authors to celebrate Women’s History Month

Rockland County residents are being asked to shine red lights outside of their homes now through March 26 in honor of fallen firefighter <a href="https://westchester.news12.com/highway-to-be-dedicated-to-fallen-firefighter-jared-lloyd-today">Jared Llyod</a>.

Lloyd died on March 23, 2021 while battling a massive fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults.

The "Light Rockland Red" request is from the Spring Valley Fire Department and Columbian Fire Engine Company.

Jared Lloyd died on March 23, 2021 while battling a massive fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults.

'Light Rockland Red' honors fallen firefighter Jared Llyod

Westchester attorney and community advocate David Imamura is set to become the first Asian American Westchester County legislator in Board of Legislators' history.

Imamura was sworn in Sunday afternoon, joined by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, State Sen. Shelley Mayer and State Senate Majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

"As I join my colleagues, I believe we must continue to help the people who cannot help themselves. It is not right that one of the wealthiest counties in America, we also have some of the greatest concentrations of poverty in America," Imamura said. "While I may be the first Asian American county legislator, I promise I will not be the last, and promise you that together we will make a Westchester that is fair, more affordable and a place that is open to all."

Imamura will represent the 12th Legislative District.

David Imamura will represent the 12th Legislative District.

Newly sworn-in David Imamura makes history as Westchester's first Asian American legislator

The Carmel Fire Department is reminding the community to slow down and be alert when driving past emergency vehicles after one of their members was struck last week.&nbsp;

Firefighters and police got a call on March 15 for an overturned car on Stoneleigh Avenue, near the Putnam Hospital Center.

News 12 was told the driver was able to get out and was evaluated by EMS..&nbsp;

While on the scene, a member of the fire department was hit by a passing vehicle. They suffered minor injuries and were treated by ambulance personnel on site.&nbsp;

The department is urging drivers to slow down and move over when passing a scene like this.&nbsp;