Two Pedestrians Killed, Several Injured After SUV Crashes Into Crowd and Vehicles in Manhattan
Two pedestrians were killed and several others were injured Friday evening after an SUV struck multiple people and vehicles in Manhattan, police said.
Police said the crash happened around 6 p.m. Friday at West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
According to the NYPD, a 61-year-old man was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 northbound on Amsterdam Avenue when he hit an unattended parked Volkswagen Jetta about 40 feet south of West 109th Street. The SUV then continued through the intersection, drove onto a pedestrian concrete island on the northwest corner, and struck four pedestrians.
The vehicle then hit a parked Chevrolet Astro van occupied by a 51-year-old man, pushing it forward and triggering a chain-reaction crash involving several parked vehicles.
Police identified the two pedestrians killed as Jason Negron, 46, of Manhattan, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, of Manhattan. Both were taken to Mount Sinai Morningside, where they were pronounced dead.
Two other pedestrians, a 44-year-old man and a 36-year-old man, were taken to Mount Sinai Morningside in stable condition. The driver and the 51-year-old man inside the van were also hospitalized in stable condition.
Police identified the driver as Elvin Suarez, 61, of Manhattan. He was arrested and charged with two counts of manslaughter, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of vehicular assault, and driving while intoxicated.
The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is investigating the crash.
