Panic erupted on a busy stretch of West 125th Street Thursday night when a driver tore through traffic, leaving multiple people injured and witnesses shaken.
According to the New York Post, authorities say a 49-year-old man behind the wheel of a red Hyundai Tucson lost control near Frederick Douglass Boulevard around 8:05 p.m., striking pedestrians and slamming into several vehicles in a chaotic series of collisions.
Two men were hit and critically injured. Both were rushed to nearby hospitals as emergency crews flooded the scene. Reports state that one of the pedestrians later died.
Police said the vehicle also crashed into a parked New York Police Department cruiser, adding to the destruction.
Witnesses described a violent chain reaction as the SUV barreled forward.
Jonathan Morillo, who was nearby, said the impact sent debris flying across the roadway.
“It was like an explosion, the gray car was waiting over here, then the pieces. They flew off, hit my car too, and then ran into the truck over there,” Morillo recalled.
According to officials, two additional victims suffered “moderate” injuries, while another person was treated for minor wounds. All five were taken to area hospitals by EMS.
Despite the severity of the crash, police said the driver was not injured.
Morillo described a terrifying scene as the incident unfolded in seconds.
“I was panicked. I was in shock. It’s like I saw everything in slow motion … everything happened so fast,” he said.
He also claimed the driver appeared to continue accelerating even after the initial impact.
“A lot of pieces all over the place … and then the guy just kept hitting on the gas. Like he was trying to escape.”
Authorities confirmed that a person of interest was taken into custody at the scene. However, no charges have been announced as the investigation remains ongoing.
Officials have not yet released the identities of those involved as they work to determine exactly what led to the violent crashes.
