Four men have died after a car left the road and hit a lamp-post on Merseyside, police have said.
According to Merseyside Police, the crash happened on Liverpool Road in Huyton shortly before 02:00 BST. The black Seat Cupra had been travelling from Liverpool towards Knowsley before it came off the road.
The force said two of the men who died were aged 23, while the others were 24 and 26. All four were pronounced dead at the scene. A 27-year-old man who was a passenger in the vehicle was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.
Police closed 11 roads in the area, including Liverpool Road and East Prescot Road from the junction of Princess Drive and Finch Lane, while investigations continue. The closures are expected to remain in place over the weekend, the force said.
Supt Paul Holden, of Merseyside Police, said the priority was to establish what happened for the families affected. He appealed for anyone who saw the crash, or who was driving through the area shortly before it happened, to contact police.
Residents told BBC News they were woken by a loud noise in the early hours. Tony Butler, who lives nearby, said the incident had caused a major impact locally because people were unable to get cars in and out of the estate.
Other residents described hearing what sounded like an explosion and said they could smell fuel. Several people also told the BBC there had been previous crashes in the area and raised concerns about road safety.
