Driver facing DWI charge in crash that injured 3 pedestrians in Queens
NEW YORK -- A driver has been charged with DWI in a crash in Queens that sent three pedestrians to the hospital.
Surveillance video shows three men huddled on the corner of Northern Boulevard and 86th Street in Jackson Heights at around 4:15 a.m. Saturday when a red SUV rammed into them and then a utility pole.
People nearby heard the victims' cries and ran over to help.
"This area is very dangerous. Too many accidents every week," one person told CBS2's Christina Fan.
"Carelessness and negligence. You gotta just watch what you're doing and how to drive," said another.
Police say the driver, identified as 23-year-old Edilito Piterdo-Rodrigo, from the Bronx, has been charged with DWI, vehicular manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
In the video, Piterdo-Rodrigo appeared to swerve left to avoid a white van drifting into his lane. He lost control and hit the men, who were sent flying onto the sidewalk where they lay bleeding on the ground.
Investigators said the three victims were taken to Elmhurst Hospital. All are expected to survive.
Traffic-related fatalities in New York state were up 37.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2021.
"I don't know what's become of this world. People just don't care," another person said.
"We have to be present. You have to focus on what you are doing. This makes a difference. If you are driving, you are driving," said Cecilia Santos, a Jackson Heights resident.
Piterdo-Rodrigo was also injured in the crash.