PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) – A 17-year old survivor of a deadly car crash credits a seat belt with saving his life last weekend.

As WBBM Newsradio 780’s Bernie Tafoya reports, Daniel Ascencio, 17, said he put on his seat belt when a friend who was driving would not slow down, and the car was shaking.

Ascencio tells the Daily Herald he and three friends were drunk when a car they were in smashed into two trees in Prospect Heights early Saturday. Ascencio’s friends were thrown from the stolen car and killed.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Bernie Tafoya reports

Ascencio told the newspaper the sight of his dead friends will be burned in his memory for life. He said he was not told the car the group was in was stolen until they were already speeding and it was too late to get out.

The stolen 2002 Honda Accord came sailing across the road around 3 a.m. Saturday, landing just feet away from a nearby home in the 100 block of Camp McDonald Road.

Killed in the crash were Freddy Najera, 16, of Mount Prospect, and Elibeth Solis, 16, and Jessica Ferrera, 15.

Toxicology tests are set to be performed on the deceased victims at the Medical Examiner’s office.