CORRY -- A car fleeing state troopers investigating a burglary in Elgin Borough raced north on Route 89 before veering onto a dirt road in Wayne Township and crashing into a tree, killing four of the car's five occupants late Thursday morning, the Pennsylvania State Police said.

Three of the five occupants of the gray Mazda 6 were ejected when the car went off the east side of Stuart Road and into a wooded area, where it slammed into a tree.

The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, and a passenger inside the vehicle were killed instantly, state police said.

Three other men were ejected, including two who died instantly, state police said. The fifth was taken to UPMC Hamot with critical injuries, investigators said.

The names of the occupants were not available Thursday because authorities were still trying to determine their identities.

Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said Thursday evening that the four victims are men, all of whom appear to be under 30.

Cook said none of the victims had identification, and that his office is attempting to identify them through fingerprints.

"We're waiting for fingerprints to come back from the state police lab,'' Cook said.

Cook said it was too early to determine if autopsies will be scheduled. He said the four men died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Troopers and criminal investigators from the state police stations in Erie and Corry, along with forensic services troopers and accident investigators, remained at the scene for much of Thursday afternoon after a crash that was first reported at 11:55 a.m.

Police said the incident began Thursday morning when the owner of a home in the 19000 block of Elgin Road in Elgin, Concord Township, came home and saw an unknown black man run from his house.

The man jumped into a 2003 Mazda 6 and drove away, said Sgt. Mark Zaleski, a state police spokesman.

The homeowner called state police, and within a few minutes, a trooper from the Corry barracks spotted the car, which immediately sped off and reached speeds of 100 mph while traveling north on Route 89, Zaleski said.

During the pursuit, the suspects were observed throwing items from the vehicle, police said.

As the Mazda reached a left-hand curve on Route 89, it went straight onto Stuart Road, a dirt-and-gravel road, passing a small red sign that said, "Free Bibles."

The trooper pursuing the Mazda backed off the pursuit and was just following the Mazda because of heavy dust and debris that had been kicked up by the car, Zaleski said.

The trooper and the occupants of another state police patrol vehicle that arrived on the scene then saw additional items being thrown from the Mazda and debris from the vehicle just before it crashed into the wooded area on the east side of the road, at the intersection with Ladd Road, police said.

The car lost control and overturned after striking several trees, including a large birch tree, taking it down, police said.

Troopers recovered from the vehicle three revolvers and numerous items suspected to have been taken in the burglary, according to police.

One of the revolvers, which had been reported stolen in an earlier burglary, was found loaded in a holster worn by the driver, police said.

Zaleski said that area of Erie County has been "inundated" recently with residential burglaries.