A suspected drunk driver killed two pedestrians and injured several others in a violent chain-reaction crash on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Friday night, the New York Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital.
The crash happened around 6 p.m. near the intersection of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, a busy stretch of road near residential buildings, restaurants and Columbia University.
Investigators say Elvin Suarez, 61, was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 SUV northbound on Amsterdam Avenue when he allegedly first struck a parked Volkswagen Jetta south of the intersection, then sped across West 109th Street, jumped over a pedestrian island and struck four pedestrians.
Police said the Mercedes-Benz continued through the intersection before crashing into a parked Chevrolet Astro van containing a 51-year-old man.
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Two people were killed and three others were injured on Friday when a suspected drunk driver jumped onto a sidewalk and struck pedestrians near Amsterdam Avenue and West 109th Street in Manhattan. The driver was arrested after the incident.
(Getty Images)
The impact caused the truck to crash into several other parked vehicles, including a Honda CR-V, Toyota Sienna, Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Altima, authorities said.
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Emergency crews transported Suarez, the van’s passengers and four pedestrians to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital after the crash.
Two pedestrians — Jason Negron, 46, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, both of Manhattan — were pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
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Police were on scene after a suspected drunk driver struck pedestrians on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near Amsterdam Avenue and West 109th Street on Friday, killing two people and injuring three others.
Suarez, a passenger in the truck, and two other pedestrians, aged 44 and 36, are currently in stable condition.
Suarez was arrested and charged with two counts of manslaughter, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated, police said.
Authorities have not released further details about what may have caused the crash, and no investigators believe speed was also a factor.
The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Team continues to investigate the fatal collision.
A suspected drunk driver struck pedestrians on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Friday, killing two people and injuring three others, the New York Police Department said.
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A portion of Amsterdam Avenue was closed Friday night as investigators examined the scene and crews worked to clear the road of damaged vehicles.
Authorities have not said whether Suarez has hired a lawyer.
Original source of the article: A chain reaction occurred on Manhattan’s Upper West Side when a suspected drunk driver hit and killed two pedestrians