Out-of-control car slams into pedestrians, killing grandad and injuring two kids

05 September 2023 , 23:51

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A five-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy also suffered injuries along with a woman aged 65 (Image: Peter Gerber)

An out-of-control car slammed into a group of pedestrians killing a grandfather and injuring two children.

The vehicle careered off the road and slammed into a group in New York City on Tuesday afternoon. Police were called to 260th Street and 73rd Avenue at around 4pm, finding four pedestrians in total had been struck.

Police said the pedestrians were standing next to a parked car at the time. A 67-year-old man, identified as Sam Amorese, was pinned between two cars and killed during the crash. A five-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy also suffered injuries along with a woman aged 65.

Some off the victims were unloading groceries from a parked car when they were struck by the vehicle, police said. Images from the scene show a damaged child's car seat on the floor amongst crash debris.

A child's car seat is seen on the floor in the wake of the crash (Peter Gerber)

The woman was taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in serious but stable condition, while the children were taken to Cohen's Children's Hospital in stable condition. The 39-year-old driver of the out-of-control vehicle stayed at the scene.

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The investigation is ongoing. Police did not provide information on what caused the crash. The crash comes days after a driver crashed into a group of people standing on the pavement in Midtown, New York City.

Police said a 29-year-old female driver was intoxicated at the time. Footage at the scene video shows the driver fleeing soon after the impact on 36th Street and Sixth Avenue just before midnight. Witness Shahzaib Arshad said: "I'm here inside and I use the phone and go outside, and there's a car coming through very fast, and push it." He added there were "people mangled. There was lots of blood."

Two cars are seen crushed into one another as debris litters the floor (Peter Gerber)

Police said the driver continued to the Queens Midtown Tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, she crashed into a car. Police said no-one was injured and she was arrested and taken to the hospital for evaluation. Six men and one woman were injured, ranging in age from 24-60, and had various head and arm injuries. The most serious injury, police said, is a 34-year-old woman listed in critical but stable condition.

The investigation is ongoing.

Abigail O'Leary