A man walking on the sidewalk in Fresh Meadows, Queens, was critically injured yesterday morning in a pedestrian accident when a pickup truck jumped the curb and hit him near Peck Avenue. Apparently, the driver of the truck swerved to avoid another vehicle cutting in front on Utopia Parkway.
According to the story in the Daily News, the accident occurred around 5:40 AM on Monday, injuring the 60-year-old-pedestrian. The truck also crashed into a parked vehicle, a 2007 Toyota RAV4, after striking the pedestrian. The injured man was taken to Booth Memorial Hospital.
The driver who struck the pedestrian remained on the scene and tested negative for drugs and alcohol. Registration and insurance were both in order. It is not clear who was at fault in the accident – the driver who hit the pedestrian or the driver who cut in front, causing the first driver to swerve.
Police did not immediately release the injured man’s name and are continuing to investigate. The driver of the other car was also not identified.
Last fall, two pedestrians were killed in Elmhurst, Queens, when a driver lost control of his Chevy Camaro and jumped the curb, striking the pedestrians after hitting a lamppost, a phone booth and two parked cars.
Both accidents occurred in the early morning hours.