Brooklyn Dad Faces DWI After 7-Year-Old Daughter Found Behind Wheel In Car Crash, Police Say
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A father is under arrest after his young daughter was found behind the wheel of their car when it crashed in Brooklyn.
Investigators said the sedan crashed into the back of an FDNY ambulance on Ocean Parkway near the entrance to the Belt Parkway in Coney Island around 5 p.m. Thursday.
The man was possibly under the influence of alcohol and drugs, CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported.
Police said EMTs got out of their vehicle, approached the car and found Eric Roman unconscious in the driver's seat, with his 7-year-old daughter sitting in his lap.
EMTs had to revive Roman with Narcan. He was taken to Coney Island Hospital right across the street from the accident.
Nearby residents couldn't believe it.
"I feel sad to hear this," one man said.
"I can't even imagine what kind of father will put his life and his daughter's life in jeopardy. Driving drunk is already a crime. Putting a child behind the wheel, that's unbelievable," Anna Dmitrieva added.
Roman lives just a mile away from the crash scene. His brother answered the door.
"I can't answer any questions at this time, because everything is still ongoing," he told Hsu before asking her to leave. "We just ask if you can kindly just step off our property and give privacy for the family, that's it."
"Everybody's OK," he added.
It's still unclear how the girl got into the driver's seat or how far they traveled.
Roman faces several charges, including driving while intoxicated, acting in a manner injurious to a child and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.