The driver who allegedly hit the mother and toddler failed to escape, flipped the van and nearly died, but was rescued by witnesses.
Police said Olubunmi Awolui, 61, was driving drunk on Rockaway Parkway in Brooklyn on Saturday when he crashed his minivan into two parked cars. CBS News I will report.
The man then allegedly made a U-turn, hit a 26-year-old woman and a 3-year-old girl, and fled the scene.
Police said the woman was pushing a stroller near Rockaway Parkway and Winthrop Street in the Brownsville area around 4 p.m.
Police said the child only suffered minor injuries, but the mother was unconscious and unresponsive when emergency responders arrived on the scene.
Both were taken to a local hospital where they are reportedly in stable condition and are expected to make a full recovery.
Awolui appeared to continue for a few blocks before surveillance footage showed him crashing into two parked cars on Blake Avenue. NBC I will report.
Surveillance camera footage shows the minivan speeding down the road, slamming into the side of a parked Jeep, pushing it onto the sidewalk, then flipping onto its driver's side and crashing into a parked pickup truck, forcing it to slam on its brakes.
It appears that the minivan's hood was already damaged before it collided with the parked vehicle.
Police said Awolui was charged with drunk driving, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Mobile phone footage from the scene showed local residents working together to right the van and extricate the driver, who was still in the driver's seat.
“[The driver] “There was blood coming out of his mouth. There was blood on the road. It was kind of scary to see someone being held down and crushed,” Eudes James told CBS News.
“When firefighters opened the door at the scene, a liquor bottle fell out,” witness Shanique Fox told the outlet.
Delivery driver Danny Square told News 4 he pursued the minivan driver after witnessing him strike a pedestrian and a vehicle.
“There were three open bottles of Hennessy in his car, which indicates he was intoxicated,” he told media.
The driver was taken into custody after causing a vehicle crash.
