One police officer was killed and eight others were injured after an NYPD van crashed in the Bronx early Sunday morning.

According to police, 25-year-old Michael Williams, of the Bronx, was in the back of the police van when it hit a barrier off the Bruckner Expressway. They say Williams was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead on arrival at Lincoln Hospital.

Two of the eight officers hurt are still in the hospital recovering from their injuries, but are expected to be OK. They have been identified as 25-year-old Wesley Taveras and 29-year-old Francine del Valle. 

Friends and family say Williams joined the force in January and was an only child. Fellow officers say he was well-liked and a hard worker. News 12 has also learned that his father served in the police force for over 32 years.

All nine of the officers involved are from the 47th Precinct in the Bronx. Many of their fellow officers came to the hospital to pay their respects and salute Williams. 

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said an investigation is ongoing, and that weather conditions, speed and seat belt issues will all be looked into. It's unclear whether Williams was wearing a seat belt at the time.