Three people were killed when a driver suspected of being under the influence plowed into a crowd celebrating the holiday in a New York City park on Thursday, officials said.
A pickup truck traveling “at a high rate of speed” drove through an intersection, onto the sidewalk and crashed into the crowd at Corlears Hook Park in Manhattan around 8:55 p.m., police said.
The driver was identified by police Friday morning as Daniel C. Hyden, 44, of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.
New York officials initially said three people had been killed and seven others injured. By Friday morning, police said the number of injured had risen to eight.
Lucille Pinkney, 59, and Hernan Pinkney, 38, were killed in the crash, authorities said. The third victim was not named but was identified as a woman.
One person was taken to hospital in critical condition and seven others suffered minor injuries, including an 11-year-old boy, police said.
The park, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side next to the East River, was packed with families celebrating “a beautiful evening on the Fourth of July,” New York Police Chief Jeff Maddrey said at a news conference.
Mayor Eric Adams said a tragedy occurred while families were barbecuing and enjoying the evening.
“It appears that the driver at this time, based on preliminary investigation, was under the influence,” Adams said. “This is extremely early. We’re going to do a thorough investigation.”
Maddrey said responding officers “did smell some alcohol, but we’re still conducting testing.”
The driver was traveling east on Water Street in a Ford F-150 at a high rate of speed, went through an intersection and “ran through the stop sign, mounted the sidewalk into Corlears Hook Park and struck people who were out enjoying the evening,” Maddrey said.
When emergency responders arrived at the park, “they found a pickup truck lying on top of four victims,” said Michael Meyers, assistant fire chief.
People in the park “grabbed the driver, removed him and made sure the driver didn’t leave until emergency responders arrived,” Maddrey said.
Hyden was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital with head and facial injuries. Police said he was not wearing a seat belt and his driver’s license had been revoked. He refused all tests because police noted there was “a suspicion of impairment.”