A speeding driver caused injuries to 17 people, including including three kids under two years old, after starting a chain reaction of fender benders on Ocean Parkway on Monday afternoon, according to police and news reports.
The force of the motorist's reckless driving sent two SUVs over the curb onto the street's historic bike path between Avenue U and Avenue V, video and footage from the scene showed.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to NYPD. Photos of the scene posted on social media showed at least four damaged vehicles, while one witnessed recalled try to help bloodied kids out of one of the cars.
Video of the crash posted on social media showed the pile-on, which appeared to involve at least five vehicles. Watch the video here:
Despite its 25 mph speed limit, Ocean Parkway has seven lanes at the site of Monday's crash. The width of the road encourages speeding and dangerous driving. The intersection with Avenue U, which the drive plowed through at high speed, saw five crash-related injuries this year through September — including to two cyclists and two pedestrians, according to city data.
FreedomNewsTVs Diego Luzuriaga spoke to Sadia Akhter, a witness who told her she saw "two or three" kids in one of the vehicles. Two of the kids were "trapped [and] badly bleeding," said Akhter, who helped get the kids out of the car and called 9-1-1.
"It could be totally prevented if that person who was responsible for this crash wouldn't rush to drive," she said. "Something needs to be done. I don't know. We have 25 miles per hour traffic rules, like, something is not working correctly... What is the rush? No one is going anywhere!"
Families for Safe Streets member and former neighborhood City Council candidate Amber Adler demanded NYPD take action against the driver, who stayed on the scene and has not been charged.
"There is absolutely no excuse for the drivers that caused this violent, car-mangling crash," Adler said.
In other news:
- The Times pulled the floor plans for a new building in Crown Heights to expose the absurdity of the city's archaic parking minimums.
- Not unrelated: If the city prioritizes parking over housing, it's only logical that some folks will turn that parking into housing. (CBS New York)
- Port Authority cops nabbed 30 cars from toll scofflaws on the Outerbridge Crossing last week. (NJ Advance Media)
- amNY looked into the public seating the MTA added to Grand Central Madison after complaints from riders. Max sitting time, 90 minutes.
- A box truck driver critically injured an elderly woman on the Upper East Side on Monday, so naturally the cops and Daily News claimed she "tripped and fell."
- Queens motorcycle couple killed in Oct. 13 crash "were deeply in love." (Daily News)
- Mark your calendars for Thursday's "Canyon of Heroes" ticker-tape parade for your WNBA champion New York Liberty. (NY Post)
- "The Vessel" is back and somehow more depressing than ever. (NY Post)
- B35 bus driver strikes and critically injures hoverboard rider in Brownsville. (Patch)
