Wrong-way driver causes scary collision at Union and Henry
Two people were sent to the hospital, and a storefront was damaged.
A reckless driver caused a terrifying collision on Sunday morning at the intersection of Union and Henry streets.
Surveillance video shows a white Mercedes speeding the wrong way up Henry, blowing past a man in the crosswalk, then hitting a black Audi passing through the intersection on Union. The Audi then careened into the facade of Garden Gourmet Deli and Grill, causing significant damage.
The driver of the black Audi and a passenger in the white Mercedes were taken to the hospital in stable condition, CBS News reported, while the driver of the white car was arrested on charges including reckless driving and possession of a controlled substance.
Luckily, no one was injured on the sidewalk or at the Garden Gourmet. Store owner Khalid was behind the counter at the time and told CBS News that the crash sounded “like a huge bomb.”
Workers at the store spent hours cleaning up on Sunday afternoon, and the business is now back open with plywood covering the broken window. Khalid says he and fellow store operator Roberto are still finding the odd piece of broken glass around the store as of Monday.
The brick wall below the store’s window was also damaged — Khalid says a contractor is taking measurements and planning the repair. Neighborhood residents have set up a gofundme to help the store.
It’s extremely lucky that the street corner in front of Garden Gourmet was empty of pedestrians when the black car came spinning across. At the time of the crash, multiple pedestrians were present on the street corner across Union, in front of Mazzola Bakery, and across Henry, in front of Element Natural Healing Arts.
One of the most remarkable elements of the crash video is a man crossing Henry, who spots the wrong-way driver barreling up the street and stops in his tracks. But he hardly budges as the car speeds past, no more than a few feet away from hitting him.
It seems from the video that the man is an NYPD detective from the 76th Precinct, located a half block over on Union Street. He’s wearing a shirt and tie, and after the crash, he immediately heads for the driver-side door of the white car and orders the driver out of the vehicle.
— Travis Hunter
Really interesting reaction from the two pedestrians. Most of all the apparent detective, of course. He must have heard the car coming -- he hadn't looked that way before crossing as one might best do in NYC -- and then was a total New Yorker in his leaving just enough space for the car to speed past him in the middle of the street.
Then he runs to the wrong-way car and, it seems, yells, Get out of the car.
Another person runs to the white car. Nobody's running to the black car just yet. Maybe they could tell right away that the drivers were probably OK.
The detective who was crossing the road and saw what was happening in real time but barely stepping back is wild