1 Dead, 3 Injured In Flatbush-Ditmas Park Crash
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A pedestrian was killed, and three others were injured, when a car flipped over in Flatbush-Ditmas Park, Brooklyn late Monday.
As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, officials said the accident happened around 5:30 p.m. on busy Flatbush Avenue at Albemarle Road in Brooklyn.
The black Nissan Sentra was headed south on Flatbush Avenue when it jumped the curb and flipped over in front of the building at 994 Flatbush Ave., and took down a pedestrian, police said.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, witnesses said the driver of the SUV lost control and took out a tree on the sidewalk before slamming into the bus stop area.
The pedestrian, a 50-year-old man, died during transport to the hospital, officials said. A 59-year-old woman's condition was reported as stable at Kings County Hospital Center, after she was struck by debris from the accident, officials told 1010 WINS.
The driver, a 58-year-old man -- and his 3-year-old son -- were also taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where they were being evaluated, officials said.
Cellphone video showed the driver, who was pulled out of the car by a nearby store worker while paramedics tended to others who were more severely injured.
Nia Pearce works across the street.
"I seen them roll the driver out on the stretcher, as well as I seen them with the little kid," she said. "But there's a man under that car – he's dead."
Other witnesses had similar stories of horror.
"I just hear like a crashing sound like 'Eerr! Boom! Boom! Boom!" like it was crazy," said witness Priscilla Wellington.
"This big car just flipped over, and then the people were waiting for the bus stop, they dragged out four people -- a little boy who's like 4 year old, they dragged him to the ambulance -- and then an older lady," said witness Roman Marshall.
A dozen people have been killed on New York City streets since Halloween. Just on Sunday morning, an 88-year-old woman crossing the street on the Upper West Side was struck and killed by a cab.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier Monday defended Vision Zero, saying traffic fatalities have dropped dramatically since the plan was implemented.
"Vision zero is working, we saw it last year, the fewest pedestrian deaths in over 100 years, we see it continuing to improve this year, but there's much more to come on Vision Zero," de Blasio said.
But those who witnessed the traffic mayhem in Brooklyn on Monday said at least in their area, they do not see enough traffic enforcement.
Police late Monday were still trying to figure out why the Brooklyn driver lost control.
