Authorities say three people were killed Thursday when a driver who was thought to be drunk crashed into a group of people enjoying the holiday in a park in New York City.
Around 8:55 p.m., police say a pickup truck “driving at a high rate of speed” went through an intersection, hit people on the path, and then drove through an intersection again.
It was Friday morning when police found out that the driver was Daniel C. Hyden, 44, of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.
At first, New York police said three people were killed and seven were hurt. As of Friday morning, eight people were hurt, according to the cops.
Authorities say that Lucille Pinkney, 59, and Hernan Pinkney, 38, died in the crash. The third victim was a woman, but her name was not given.
One of the injured was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and seven others, including an 11-year-old boy, were hurt less seriously, according to the police.
The park was full of families “celebrating on a beautiful Fourth of July evening,” New York Police Chief Jeff Maddrey said at a news conference. The park is on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, next to the East River.
Mayor Eric Adams said that something terrible happened while families were grilling and having a good time.
“It appears as though at this time, based on preliminary investigation, that the driver was under the influence,” said Adams. “This is way too early.” We’re going to look into this very carefully.”
Maddrey said that the police who arrived “did smell some alcohol, but we are still testing.”
The driver was going too fast east on Water Street in a Ford F-150. They hit people who were enjoying the evening as they went through an intersection and “through the stop sign, up onto the sidewalk, into Corlears Hook Park,” Maddrey said.
“When they got to the park, they found a pickup truck on top of four victims,” said Michael Meyers, assistant chief of operations for the Fire Department.
“Someone grabbed the driver, took the driver off, and made sure the driver didn’t leave until first responders got there,” Maddrey said.
Hyden was caught at the scene and taken to the hospital with cuts on his head and face. As per the police, he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and his license was already canceled. All of the tests were turned down because cops said there was “suspicion of impairment.”
