At least three people are dead after an alleged drunk driver plowed into a crowd of at least 10 in New York City Thursday night.
The crash occurred in the midst of the city's Fourth of July celebrations, and among those hit were a mom and three kids, cops said.
As of writing, it remains unclear if the three were among the fatalities, as at least seven others were injured by the wayward pickup.
It crashed around 9pm in the Lower East Side, roughly 20 minutes before fireworks were launched from barges on the Hudson River.
Cops said the more than two-ton Ford F-150 blew past a stop sign, and that following the fatal smash, the car's driver was found to have alcohol on his breath. He was taken into custody, but has yet to be named. Sources told The New York Post he is from The Bronx.
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At least three people are dead after an alleged drunk driver plowed into a crowd of at least 10 in New York City Thursday night
The crash occurred in the midst of the city's Fourth of July celebrations, and among those hit were a mom and three kids, cops said. The driver was taken into custody and is suspect of driving while intoxicated
'You have a tragic incident like this that really impacts family members who were just here, celebrating and barbecuing inside a park,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a rare statement from the crime scene, as blasts of fireworks emanated in the background.
Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey of the New York City Police Department added: 'We do believe that alcohol had played a role in this, but we are investigating.'
Chief Michael V. Meyers of the New York City Fire Department went on to reveal that of the seven injured, two were 'in critical condition.'
Another three are said to be 'seriously' injured, with no other details provided.
He did go on to detail his department's response to the crash, which saw firefighters arrive at the scene in less than four minutes, he said.
There, past 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 those affected, he said.
Chief Meyers did not describe the nature of their injuries, but did say they were among the 200 or so who chose to ring in the holiday at the park near the East River.
Adams, meanwhile, added that though investigations were still underway, the incident did not appear to be 'terrorist related.'
'You have a tragic incident like this that really impacts family members who were just here, celebrating and barbecuing inside a park,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a rare statement from the crime scene, as blasts of fireworks emanated in the background
Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey of the New York City Police Department added: 'We do believe that alcohol had played a role in this, but we are investigating'
Chief Michael V. Meyers of the New York City Fire Department went on to reveal that of the seven injured, two were 'in critical condition.' Another three are said to be 'seriously' injured, with no other details provided
He did go on to detail his department's response to the crash, which saw firefighter arrive at the scene in less than four minutes, he said
There, past 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 those affected
Cops did not describe the nature of their injuries, but did say they were among the 200 or so who chose to ring in the holiday at the park. They did say two of the victims were young kids. Officers added that another was the children's mother. An investigation is underway
Instead, officials aired the belief the incident was the result of a drunk driver, with Maddrey revealing the suspect smelled of alcohol.
He added how the Ford F-150 had been driving eastbound at a high rate of speed down Water Street, before speeding through the stop sign.
At that point, the truck traversed the sidewalk and entered the park, he said - as officials cited the public space as a place where people have long congregated.
After the victims were removed from the scene, an array of debris was seen sitting under the heavily damaged car.
A scooter, some sneakers, and what appeared to be a backpack were left behind, as officials elected to not identify anyone involved.
At least three people died from their injuries, as a probe into what exactly happened remains underway.
The driver has since been taken into custody, as Maddrey confirmed two of the victims were young kids. Officers added that another was the children's mother. As of early Friday, it remains unknown if they were among the three who died.
