CBS2 Sources: Driver In Herald Square Crash Was Drunk, Had Crack Pipes In Car
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A driver was facing seven serious charges late Thursday, including DWI and criminal possession of a controlled substance, after her car jumped a curb in Herald Square the night before -- injuring six people.
Law enforcement sources told CBS2 News the driver -- Stella Mednik, 34, of Bay Ridge -- had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and had two crack pipes in her possession containing crack cocaine residue.
The crash occurred around 10 p.m. Wednesday on West 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Police said the chaos began when Mednik, who was driving a Ford Mustang, rear-ended another vehicle on 34th Street. She then backed up and tried to go around that car to keep going east in westbound traffic, CBS2's Sonia Rincon reported.
She hit another car, according to police. She then swerved back into the eastbound lanes, and at that point, witnesses saw her car go over the curb and plow into pedestrians, Rincon reported.
Witnesses said the driver was clearly intoxicated.
"She couldn't even stand up," said another witness. "They were trying to stand her up but she was slumped on the floor."
"Must've freaked out," said witness Matty Thomas. "She backed up, took off went around on the other side of the street, went through the intersection, skidded out and fishtailed then fishtailed again the other way and smacked into all the cars waiting at the light ... cut across -- she jumped the curb and literally five bodies flying in the air."
Dennis Copeño, who works at the nearby Journeys store, was just taking a break when he saw the car smash through the front of Forever 21 store at 50 W. 34th St.
"I was in shock, you know, like, thank God I wasn't there," he said. "You know, like two minutes earlier, I could have been there, you know?"
In all, six people were hurt including Mednik, her passenger and four pedestrians. The most seriously hurt was an 18-year-old-woman visiting from Australia, Rincon reported.
Mednik was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, unauthorized use of a vehicle, criminal possession of a controlled substance, DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and refusing a breath test, 1010 WINS reported.
Law enforcement sources said Mednik initially refused a breathalyzer test. They also said the 2014 Mustang she was driving was a rental car, and she wasn't authorized to be driving it.
Ironically, Mednik was a lawyer who used to represent DWI suspects. Her license to practice has been suspended for reasons unclear.
CBS2 went to several of her former home and office addresses, which were really just apartments. At least one former neighbor told us she was often drunk.
Mednik, her male passenger, and the four pedestrians were brought to Bellevue Hospital Center. The pedestrians' conditions were reported to be stable.
Mednik, CBS2 was told, had surgery Thursday morning and may be eventually arraigned at the hospital.
Meanwhile, people were back shopping at Forever 21 on Thursday. The store didn't have to close early or open late Thursday morning.
The New York City Department of Buildings checked out the building and said the foundation is secure, Rincon reported.
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