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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Jess Staufenberg

Three trick-or-treaters, including 10-year-old girl, killed after car ploughs into Halloween group in New York

Three trick-or-treaters, including a 10-year-old girl, a grandfather and an older brother, have all be been killed after a car lost control and mounted a pavement in New York.

Witnesses say the Dodge Charger plouged through the group of people as they celebrated Halloween in the Bronx area of the city, the New York Daily News reported.

One grandfather was able to push his grandaughter out of harm's way, with both surviving.

Ten-year-old Nyanna Aquil and her grandfather, war veteran Louis Perez, were both pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday.

Nyanna's mother, Natalia Perez, said: "My daughter was the best daughter in the world. She never gave me any trouble. She loved to dance. She wanted to be a dancer or a Disney star. She was a beautiful, beautiful girl."

The car ploughed into Halloween revellers on Morris Park Avenue near Bogart Avenue in the Bronx in New York

Her grandmother, Miriam Perez, said she was heartbroken by the loss of her husband.

"He was the greatest grandfather in the world," she said.

"He picked up his granddaughters everyday from school, he fed them and took care of them," she told the New York Daily Times. "He was so loved by them. They adored him. He will be sorely missed.”

His son, also called Louis, said his father "was a wonderful man".

Twenty-four-year-old Kristian Leka died after reportedly pushing his 10-year-old sister Fiona to safety moments before the car hit him.

Mr Leka’s uncle, Lulsh Kanaj, said his nephew's actions had saved his neice.

“He saved her," he said.

"The car hit him and he went into the wall. His head was crushed. I don’t know what caused the driver to do this.”

Police have ruled out road rage being behind the deaths and investigators are looking into whether a medical episode was to blame, the Daily News reported.

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