A van crashed into a car, an outdoor dining area and scaffolding in Manhattan on Friday morning, injuring eight people, according to reports.
Two children were among those injured when the van collided with a car and crashed into scaffolding with three food trucks under it, PIX11 reported.
Insane scene on 2nd. Witness says white van came barreling down 2nd. Hit black car at 49th, outdoor dining, fruit stand at 50th. @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/OAjjemG6SK
— Katie Corrado (@KatieCorradoTV) March 5, 2021
First responders and the FDNY secured the area around the scaffolding and took victims to local hospitals without any serious injuries, according to PIX11. (RELATED: Oregon Man Driving Stolen Vehicle Crashes Into Woman Driving Stolen Vehicle)
WATCH: Surveillance video of this morning’s massive crash on 2nd Ave at 49th/50th Streets. Credit: Blank Slate @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/xDJSCZIgEH
— Katie Corrado (@KatieCorradoTV) March 5, 2021
Eyewitness Eloy Quispe told the New York Daily News how he managed to avoid serious injury.
“I heard a huge sound, and saw a piece of metal coming at me,” he said. “And then I just heard like a huge explosion — boom! And that’s when it hit the black car and sent it spinning.”
“That black car saved my life,” Quispe continued. “If it wasn’t there, that van would have just killed me … Thank God I’m still alive. I’m still trembling.”
Zach Israel, another eyewitness and restaurant owner, told CBS2 that one of his employees ran out to help after hearing a loud bang.
“He came right out, he called 911. Luckily, no one got hurt,” Israel told CBS 2. “We had people seated in all these little huts. Luckily, just some debris made it over here, nothing more than that.”
CBS News later reported the driver was released from police custody after it was determined he had a seizure while operating the van.