Mother, Child Killed, 4 Others Injured In Crash In Bayside, In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A mother and a child were killed Wednesday night, and four others were inured, in an accident in Bayside, Queens.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, some residents tried desperately to save the family upon seeing the horrific wreckage.
Two vehicles collided at 210th Street near the Horace Harding Expressway just after 6 p.m.
Dr. Alex Kozos, who works at a hospital in the Bronx, heard the impact of the accident. He knew it was not good when he rushed out of his home to try to help.
"They were strapped in with the seatbelts," he said. "I had to cut the seatbelts off of them."
The two mangled vehicles ended up on the sidewalk. A silver sedan was left facing one way with its contents scattered all over. A white sport-utility vehicle was left with its front end smashed, and it took down what looked to be part of a tree.
Wei Chen and her mother called 911 when they heard the accident from a nearby playground.
"All of the sudden, I heard, like, tires screeching, and then all of the sudden I see, like, smoke, and like, dust, like, car parts, like, flying into the air," Chen said.
The white SUV had only one occupant – a woman driver – and the silver sedan had five occupants – a male driver and four passengers, sources told 1010 WINS.
A woman and a child in the sedan were killed, sources told 1010 WINS. Another child and the driver and front seat passenger – who were the grandfather and grandmother to the children – were all hospitalized, sources said.
The second child and the grandmother were in critical condition, sources said. The others suffered minor injuries.
Witnesses said the grandfather who had been driving was in shock.
"He was barely conscious, because he was bleeding from his head, but then he didn't know what happened," said neighbor Robin Han.
The woman who was driving alone was also injured, and was reported in an unknown condition, sources said.
All were taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, CBS2 reported.
Both cars were so severely damaged that neighbors wondered how such an accident could have happened – in a 15 mph school zone with a speed bump in the middle of the street.
"I know a lot of people, once they come down this street, they're, you know, getting ready to get on the highway so they're typically driving a little bit quicker," said neighbor Jesse Leibowitz.
Investigators late Wednesday were trying to find witnesses to the accident so they could figure out exactly how it happened.