Metro

4 teens killed in late-night crash were drag racing: relative

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Crash teens
From left: Tristan Reichle, Carly Lonnborg, and Cody Talanian.Twitter, Instagram
The scene of the deadly crash on Saturday night.Mike Descalso
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Mike Descalso
Mike Descalso
Jim Staubitser
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A memorial was erected at the crash site.Wayne Carrington
Joe DeMaria
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Four teenage best friends killed in a Long Island car crash were drag-racing at the time, a relative and pal said Sunday.

Farmingdale High School students Jesse Romero, Carly Lonnborg, Tristan Reichle and Noah Francis died in the horrific smash-up after eating and playing games at Dave & Buster’s, said Romero’s shattered brother, Dalvi, at his sibling’s wake.

“They had just gone out for the night. Just a normal night, and then this happened,” the brother said.

Dalvi said he was told by several of his brother’s friends that they were in the other car racing the doomed teens when their vehicle slammed into an SUV.

“My wife, she can’t believe it,” said Romero’s father.

“She can’t talk much. My whole family, we are all shocked as she is. I can’t believe it either. They just came and gave us the bad news.”

A friend at Romero’s wake, who declined to give his name, also told The Post he was in the other car racing Romero’s group.

Dalvi said his brother was terrified of car crashes — and even predicted that he’d end up dying in one some day.

“I always told him, ‘Nah man, you’re good,’ ” Dalvi said.

Nassau County Police would not say whether racing was a factor.

The SUV’s driver, 53, and his female passenger were in serious condition.

A fifth teen in the car, Cody Talanian, was in critical condition.

The youngest deceased victim, Noah Francis, 15, was an orphan who had just moved from Kansas to live with his older sister here.

The Rev. Michael Duffy of St. Kilian Church, which three of the young people attended, said, “We visited one of the families, we prayed with them. This is one of those days when your homily goes right out the window.

“There are no words when an event like this occurs.”

– additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan