At least three people are dead after a suspected drunk driver plowed into a crowd of at least 10 people in New York City on Thursday night.
The accident occurred in the midst of the city’s Fourth of July celebrations, and among those hit were a mother and three children, police said.
At the time of writing, it was unclear whether the three were among the fatalities, as at least seven other people were injured by the wayward van.
It crashed around 9 p.m. on the Lower East Side, about 20 minutes before fireworks were set to be launched from barges on the Hudson River.
Police said the more than two-ton Ford F-150 ran a stop sign and that after the fatal crash, the driver of the car was found to have alcohol on his breath. He was taken into custody, but his name has not yet been released. Sources told police the driver of the vehicle had alcohol on his breath. The New York Post He is from the Bronx.
Scroll down to watch the video:
At least three people are dead after a suspected drunk driver plowed into a crowd of at least 10 people in New York City on Thursday night.
The accident occurred in the middle of the city’s Fourth of July celebrations, and among those hit were a mother and three children, according to police. The driver was arrested and is suspected of driving while intoxicated.
“A tragic incident like this really hits home for the family members who were here, celebrating and having a barbecue inside a park,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a rare statement from the scene, as fireworks could be heard in the background.
Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey of the New York City Police Department added: “We believe alcohol played a role in this, but we are investigating.”
New York City Fire Department Chief Michael V. Meyers went on to reveal that of the seven injured, two were “in critical condition.”
Three other people are said to be “seriously” injured, but no further details have been given.
He went on to detail his department’s response to the crash, where firefighters arrived on the scene in less than four minutes, he said.
There, beyond the sidewalk and into Corlears Hook Park, they found “a pickup truck on top of four victims,” after which a combination of airbags and floor jacks were used to lift the truck off of the victims, he said.
Chief Meyers did not describe the nature of their injuries, but said they were among about 200 people who decided to celebrate the holiday in the park near the East River.
Meanwhile, Adams added that although investigations were still ongoing, the incident did not appear to be “terrorism-related.”
“A tragic incident like this really takes a toll on the family members who were here, celebrating and having a barbecue inside a park,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a rare statement from the scene, as fireworks could be heard exploding in the background.
Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey of the New York City Police Department added: “We believe alcohol played a role in this, but we are investigating.”
New York City Fire Department Chief Michael V. Meyers said that of the seven injured, two were “in critical condition.” Three others are said to be “seriously” injured, without providing further details.
He went on to detail his department’s response to the crash, which saw firefighters arrive on the scene in less than four minutes, he said.
There, beyond the sidewalk and in Corlears Hook Park, they found “a pickup truck on top of four victims,” after which a combination of airbags and floor jacks were used to lift the truck off of the victims.
Police did not describe the nature of their injuries, but said they were among about 200 people who decided to celebrate the holiday in the park. They said two of the victims were young children. Officers added that another was the children’s mother. An investigation is underway.
Instead, officials expressed the belief that the incident was the result of a drunk driver, and Maddrey revealed that the suspect smelled of alcohol.
He added that the Ford F-150 had been traveling east at a high rate of speed on Water Street before running the stop sign.
At that point, the truck crossed the sidewalk and entered the park, he said, with officials citing the public space as a place where people have long congregated.
After the victims were removed from the scene, a pile of debris was seen beneath the badly damaged car.
A scooter, some sneakers and what appeared to be a backpack were left behind as officials decided not to identify anyone involved.
At least three people died from their injuries, while the investigation into what exactly happened continues.
The driver was taken into custody and Maddrey confirmed that two of the victims were young children. Officials added that another was the children’s mother. As of Friday morning, it was not known if they were among the three who died.