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Early this morning, a city medical examiner's van crashed into a Nissan Altima on Fort Hamilton Parkway, leaving the Altima's driver and front passenger dead and at least five others injured. Around 3:30AM, van was headed south on the parkway when it was "struck by the Altima, traveling east on 44th Street."

The van flipped over, critically injuring the driver and passenger. Customers at a Laundromat went outside to help and one told WNBC, “I tried to pry open the back door. I asked the victims if they were alright...There were two female victims in the back. One lady said she [didn’t] know. There was another lady with red hair that looked like she was still. There was a front-vehicle occupant with a white cap on that was just shaking his head against the dashboard. The driver himself I could not see or hear.”

Besides the Altima's driver and front passenger who died in the crash, three other passengers were taken to the hospital. The Altima had been reported stolen over the weekend. And Fort Hamilton Parkway between 43rd and 45th Streets is closed.