10 injured after NYPD car driving on wrong side of road during emergency call crashes in Bronx
An NYPD cruiser plowed into a Bronx corner full of pedestrians while driving on the wrong side of the road during an emergency call Thursday — injuring 10 people, including two children, police said.
Harrowing video of the crash shows the marked patrol car swerving into oncoming traffic and then careening into a group of people waiting for the bus on Westchester Avenue just after 3:15 p.m.
Lamar Davila, who witnessed the crash, said he saw two women on the ground “hyperventilating” and a man lying on the sidewalk with a “pile of blood” next to him.
The marked car, which had its emergency lights flashing, was responding to an emergency call for a stolen vehicle when it moved into oncoming traffic to pass a sedan turning onto Hoe Avenue, according to cops and surveillance video.
As the other vehicle attempted to turn, the patrol car clipped it, swerved out of the way and then jumped the curb on the corner, striking numerous people, police said.
The police car finally came to rest after hitting a utility pole, video shows.
Multiple people can be seen rushing to the scene to help as the two cops get out of the passenger side of the car and start calling over the radio, according to the video.
Another video of the chaos obtained by The Post shows four people on the bloodied ground, including two who were lying on their backs and barely moving. Witnesses could be heard asking where a baby was and another man was heard telling the injured victims not to move.
“What the f—, what the f—, man,” one man can be heard saying, adding. “Who’s driving, who the f— driving.”
Ten people, including the two officers in the patrol car, were injured. Two are in critical condition and the injured range in age from five to 65, police said.
It’s unclear how many people were struck by the vehicle or from debris that fell during the wild crash.
A 2-year-old child who was in the sedan the patrol car clipped was also injured, police said.
When asked if a mother and child were among those struck, NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said the incident is still under investigation.
“The marked vehicle was close up against the wall. There were people there. This will be uncovered in the investigation,” Maddrey said during a brief press conference near the scene.
He griped the suspect wanted for stealing a car got away after the crash as he commended officers for getting “into life-saving mode.”
“Of course you never want to see anyone injured… unfortunately this accident occurred but we know they are getting the best medical care right now,” he said. “We just pray for everyone, the officers and the families.”