Four people were killed in a car crash in Astoria, Queens on Friday night. The group had been driving back from a birthday celebration when their car hit a curb and flipped into the East River. Two men and two women were pulled from Steinway Creek after being trapped in the car for more than half an hour.

Paramedics rushed the four passengers to Elmhurst Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens where they were shortly pronounced dead. The 20-year-old driver managed to escape the car and swim to shore, where he called 911 and flagged down rescue workers as they arrived. He was treated for hypothermia at Elmhurst Hospital early Saturday.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Police sources confirm that the driver was not drunk, but the speed of the vehicle may have been a factor.

[image from the scene via AP]