NEW YORK (VINnews) – Two pedestrians were killed and several others injured Friday evening after a suspected drunk driver crashed into multiple vehicles and struck people on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to police.
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The crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. near West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, close to Columbia University. Authorities said Elvin Suarez, 61, was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC northbound on Amsterdam Avenue when he allegedly struck a parked vehicle before speeding through the intersection, crossing a pedestrian island and hitting four pedestrians.
Police said the SUV then slammed into a parked van, triggering a chain-reaction collision involving several additional parked vehicles.
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Jason Negron, 46, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, both of Manhattan, later died at a nearby hospital, investigators said. Three other people, including two pedestrians and the driver of the parked van, were hospitalized in stable condition. Suarez was also hospitalized.
The New York City Police Department said Suarez was arrested and charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated.
Investigators have not yet said whether speed also played a role in the crash. Authorities closed part of Amsterdam Avenue Friday night while the department’s Collision Investigation Squad examined the scene.
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