Police are searching for two suspects after a car struck a pedestrian, drove into a scaffolding and then struck five more pedestrians before ditching their vehicle in the Bronx on Thursday.
The incident began just before 11 a.m. when a Ford Mustang, heading eastbound on East 149th Street in the Melrose section, made a left turn onto Courtlandt Avenue and struck a pedestrian.
Surveillance video captured the driver of the Mustang on East 149th Street.
The driver was stopped as if he was going to turn on Courtlandt Avenue. People in the crosswalk had the right of way.
Footage then showed the driver hitting the gas, striking a woman and continuing to drive down the sidewalk under the scaffolding and then hitting several more people.
“People were yelling, were in pain, so yelling, crying, it was very upsetting,” said witness Vivian Cole.
Witness Christina Sieh was also right there.
“We thought it was a bomb or something, because we are all panicking around here,” Sieh said.
Police said the victims range from 30 years old to 79 years old.
The driver stayed under the scaffolding for several seconds and then put it in reverse and drove away.
The two suspects then ditched the Mustang and fled on foot. No arrests have been made, but police found the abandoned car nearby, with a shattered windshield and a lot of front-end damage.
All six pedestrians, three males and three females, were taken to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition with minor injuries.
The Buildings Department says the vehicle impacted the shed, dislodging four uprights and cross beams.
The DOB said the property is vacant and found no structural issues with the building itself.
The DOB is in contact with the shed compact who are on site to make repairs.-
