A suspected drunk driver crashed into parked cars, jumped a curb, and left a scene of devastation in Upper Manhattan on Friday. This incident tragically resulted in the deaths of two men and left three others seriously injured, including a father of triplets.
The 61-year-old driver was heading north near Amsterdam Avenue and West 109th Street in Morningside Heights when he lost control of his black Mercedes-Benz around 6 p.m., according to the NYPD.
Witness David Lawrence, 65, described the situation as a “horror show,” recalling that a man was crushed beneath the vehicle. “He was basically crushed between a parking post and a black Mercedes,” he said, visibly shaken.
“It was really disturbing,” noted Lawrence. “Like a Halloween setup. Only the head and arms were completely disfigured.”
Surveillance footage showed the car speeding through the intersection, leading to a series of collisions. Witnesses reported that the chaos started when a car struck another on East 108th Street.
After colliding with two parked vehicles—a gray Volkswagen and a brown minivan—the driver hit a group of pedestrians outside a barbershop.
Authorities indicated that the driver appeared to be under the influence. Tragically, two of the five victims, aged 35 and 46, died from their injuries.
Family members gathered outside St. Luke’s Hospital shared heartbreaking details. The older victim was a doorman returning home from work, while the other was a dedicated father of triplets.
A close friend, Zboski Garcia, 37, reflected on the life of the triplet’s father, describing him as a hardworking individual who had just secured a new apartment. “He was doing so well,” Garcia said. “He’s going to be missed, man. It’s just so reckless to lose him like this.”
The police reported that the men, aged 36, 44, and 51, were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Kenny Wong, 63, a local resident, was outside the barbershop when he decided to play the lottery. “I was about to sit with them, but I thought, ‘Please let me play my number first.’ That saved me. Otherwise, I would have been killed,” he said.
Wong recalled assisting the driver after the crash. “When I ran to the scene, there was already a man under the car,” he explained. “Someone was trying to give him CPR, and I pulled another guy out from under it.”
Wong stated that the driver claimed to have suffered a stroke and lost consciousness. However, police suspected he was intoxicated. He was taken into custody at the hospital, and charges are expected to follow.
