Police ID Victims In Deadly Nassau Expressway Crash

UPDATE: Nassau police have identified the two victims who died in the Nassau Expressway crash as Yisroel Levin, 21, of Brooklyn, and Elisheva Basya Kaplan, 20, of Far Rockaway.

ORIGINAL STORY: Nassau County police have officially charged two people in the early morning crash on Nassau Expressway on Wednesday that left two dead and several injured.

Zakiyyah Steward, 25, of Park Avenue, Brooklyn, and Rahmel Watkins, 35, of Quincy Street, Brooklyn, were both arrested in connection with the crash. Steward is charged with driving while ability impaired by a combination of drugs and alcohol, driving while ability impaired by drugs, DWI and unlawful possession of marijuana. Watkins is charged with DWI.

Police say the investigation into the crash is continuing. They have not yet said how it happened. But at 1:40 a.m., five cars were involved in a crash that stretched more than 800 feet on Nassau Expressway, between Burnside Avenue and Peninsula Boulevard. As a result of the crash, one car caught fire, and the driver and passenger died. Five more people were inured, including Steward and Watkins.

Police had the road closed in both directions from the time of the crash until just before 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

Both Steward and Watkins are scheduled to be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Thursday.

Photo: Zakiyyah Steward. Courtesy Nassau County Police Department.