It was Friday night in Brooklyn and people were out and about in the unseasonably warm April weather. The shops and sidewalks at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Farragut Road in Flatbush were bustling.
Witnesses later recounted for New York City media that a speeding car slammed into two other vehicles and then struck four people on the sidewalk. Two of the pedestrians were critically injured in the crash, NYPD said, though both are expected to survive.
The driver of the Mercedes that struck the two turning cars was afterwards arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The 27-year-old Flatbush resident reportedly refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. He was arrested for DWI, though he was hospitalized at Maimonides Medical Center.
The pedestrians had been waiting for the bus when the speeding car came up Flatbush Avenue. Among the injured: a child, a 16-year-old and a 21-year-old. The child’s age and gender were not disclosed. All four pedestrians were hospitalized at Kings County Hospital.
The drivers of the two vehicles struck by the speeding car – both female, ages 39 and 22 – were hospitalized in serious condition.
Witnesses said the driver of the speeding car was apparently trying to beat a traffic light that had just turned red.
We hope for speedy and full recoveries for those injured.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in a motor vehicle accident caused by a drunk, distracted or otherwise careless driver, contact an attorney experienced in personal injury litigation.