An allegedly drunk driver hit multiple holiday shoppers in Herald Square last week, sending five to local hospitals. According to news reports, the vehicle hit an SUV, a taxi and the plate-glass window of the store Forever 21. One pedestrian was pinned under the vehicle, a Ford Mustang.
The driver was charged with fleeing the scene of an accident and with driving on a suspended license. Her blood alcohol content was reported to be over the legal limit and police reported finding a crack pipe in the driver’s purse.
Several of the injured pedestrians were foreign visitors to the city enjoying the 34th Street shopping mecca.
According to police and witnesses, the Mustang first hit a Subaru Forrester while going east on 34th Street, right in front of the flagship Macy’s store. When the driver got out of the vehicle to inspect the damage, the driver of the Mustang tried to make a U-turn but was unable to do so. She proceeded east again, hitting the Subaru again. As the driver crossed Sixth Avenue, she clipped another car and then hit a Chevy Impala that rolled backward into a yellow cab.
The Mustang then jumped the sidewalk, hitting several pedestrians before crashing into the storefront window, according to witnesses. The pedestrian most seriously injured was partly under the Mustang and party in the display window. Witnesses reported that she was bleeding profusely from the head.
The driver and her male passenger were not seriously injured. The driver was arrested at Bellevue Hospital, where all the victims were taken after the crash. Although all had serious injuries, they are expected to survive.
Although they might not agree, these victims were relatively lucky. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 30 people die every day in the United States after being hit by drunk drivers. This represents almost one-third of all traffic deaths in the U.S.
The lawyers at Block O’Toole & Murphy handle cases involving injuries and fatalities caused by impaired drivers. Call us to learn more.