8 Injured As Cars Crash Onto Midtown Sidewalk; Driver Arrested

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — At least eight people were injured Friday morning when a van crashed into sidewalk scaffolding on a Midtown street, authorities said.

The crash happened around 8:37 a.m., when a white van heading south on Second Avenue near East 50th Street hit a Toyota Camry, sending the Camry careening onto the sidewalk.

The car plowed into scaffolding, also damaging an unoccupied outdoor dining area and a fruit stand, police said.

Eight people were injured, including two children, ages five and seven, who were hurt when scaffolding debris fell down onto them. All of the victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, an NYPD spokesperson said.

The driver, a 66-year-old man, tried to flee the scene but was apprehended on the corner of 49th Street, an NYPD spokesperson said. The crash is being investigated as a possible DWI and charges are pending, police said.

The crash caused severe damage to a sidewalk shed in front of a Starbucks on the northwest corner of the intersection, according to authorities and images from the scene. Firefighters had secured the scaffolding and debris by 9:17 a.m.

Second Avenue was closed between East 51st and 49th streets following the crash, backing up traffic as high as 65th Street, according to sig alert.

Whoa a car slammed into outdoor dining area on 50th and 2nd where Starbucks is. Everything backed up in NYC. pic.twitter.com/x93GdYjeRh
— Krypto Katch (@jkatcher74) March 5, 2021

.@FDNYAlerts Activity: Expect traffic delays, road closures & emergency personnel near East 50th Street & 2nd Avenue, Manhattan. Use alternate routes.
— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) March 5, 2021

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