Cops: Driver, 16, crashes in Old Bethpage with 5 teens in SUV

A 16-year-old driver and five teenage passengers were injured Tuesday night when their sport utility vehicle went off the road and struck a tree in Old Bethpage, police said.

They were taken to three different hospitals and all were in stable condition Wednesday, Nassau County police said.

The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, an older Ford Explorer, on westbound Fairway Drive and hit the tree about 11:08 p.m., police said.

The five passengers were all 16 or 17 years old, police said.

The driver had a junior license, and there was no adult in the vehicle, police said.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles website says there are restrictions on people with a junior license driving between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. They must be commuting to or from work, to or from an accredited school or educational program or attending an approved driver education course, according to the website.

A police spokeswoman said no charges have been lodged against the driver and that the investigation was continuing.

The spokeswoman said it appeared that drugs and alcohol were not involved, but declined to comment on whether speed was factor.