Photo: Christopher Chadowski / NY Post
The driver of a Toyota minivan backed into pedestrians in Manhattan’s busy Chinatown, New York, and killed 1, injuring another 6. Police are investigating the circumstances around the accident, the New York Post reports.
According to the publication, the driver, Henry Herman, is in his 70s and was trying to parallel park when the accident happened on Monday evening. It was raining at the time, as the surveillance video below can confirm, but police are yet to determine whether that played any part in the accident.
The Toyota minivan is seen speeding down the street in reverse, before hitting a crowd of pedestrians standing by a fruit stand. Of those hit, 1 died, 1 is in critical condition and 5 others have sustained minor injuries.
One eyewitness describes the scene to the NY Post as one of utter chaos. The driver, too, panicked when he got out of the car and saw how many people he’d hit with his car.
“He came down to check on people and he said, ‘Oh, my God.’ People were on the floor, one man trying to climb up. He’s saying, ‘Oh, my God’,” says the eyewitness. “I was just in shock. I told him not to move.”
“I think people were just shocked. People on the floor,” the witness continues. “There were maybe five people there, other than the man who was dead. The man just died right there.”
Herman remained on the scene until first responders and police arrived. He was then arrested and charged with failure to exercise due care and failure to yield to pedestrians, but more charges could be brought against him, depending on the findings of the investigation.
Police are working on the theory that Herman may have mistaken the acceleration pedal for the brake, as he was trying to bring his car to the curb in reverse.
According to the publication, the driver, Henry Herman, is in his 70s and was trying to parallel park when the accident happened on Monday evening. It was raining at the time, as the surveillance video below can confirm, but police are yet to determine whether that played any part in the accident.
The Toyota minivan is seen speeding down the street in reverse, before hitting a crowd of pedestrians standing by a fruit stand. Of those hit, 1 died, 1 is in critical condition and 5 others have sustained minor injuries.
One eyewitness describes the scene to the NY Post as one of utter chaos. The driver, too, panicked when he got out of the car and saw how many people he’d hit with his car.
“He came down to check on people and he said, ‘Oh, my God.’ People were on the floor, one man trying to climb up. He’s saying, ‘Oh, my God’,” says the eyewitness. “I was just in shock. I told him not to move.”
“I think people were just shocked. People on the floor,” the witness continues. “There were maybe five people there, other than the man who was dead. The man just died right there.”
Herman remained on the scene until first responders and police arrived. He was then arrested and charged with failure to exercise due care and failure to yield to pedestrians, but more charges could be brought against him, depending on the findings of the investigation.
Police are working on the theory that Herman may have mistaken the acceleration pedal for the brake, as he was trying to bring his car to the curb in reverse.
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