A homeless New York woman has been taken into custody after allegedly stealing a car, crashing it into a funeral home and hitting six people.
Six people were injured in the incident, which occurred Wednesday at around 6 p.m. in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, according to ABC 7 New York.
Police say the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Deanna Cimaglia, was allegedly driving a stolen Honda Accord when she lost control of the vehicle on Broadway and West 190th Street, the outlet reported.
The suspect then allegedly drove the vehicle onto the sidewalk where she hit six pedestrians. She then allegedly crashed the vehicle into the R G Ortiz Funeral Home and fled the scene, according to ABC 7. (RELATED: Driver Repeatedly Violated Terms Of House Arrest Before Allegedly Causing Horrific Car Crash: REPORT)
Car jumps curb in Washington Heights, 6 injured https://t.co/Sp6pfjBMTq
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) March 16, 2023
CBS New York reported that the funeral home was hit with such force that part of the wall caved in and was cracking. A bystander named Gus who witnessed the incident told the outlet that, upon crashing into the building, the car engine “[kept] going, like accelerating like 60 mph.”
A video of the aftermath showed a panicked scene as bystanders rushed to help the injured victims, at least one of which was trapped underneath the smoking vehicle, according to ABC 7.
Among those injured were four adults and two children: a three-year-old and a four-year-old. Both children suffered minor bleeding to their faces, ABC 7 reported. While most of the adults sustained minor injuries, the eldest of the group, a 63-year-old woman, was left with a fractured leg and broken pelvis. They’ve all since been treated at local hospitals.
Cimaglia eventually returned to the scene of the crash and was taken into custody, the outlet reported. Police said she was not intoxicated and that she claimed to be homeless.
She has since been charged with criminal possession of stolen property, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving without a license, ABC 7 reported.