UPPER WEST SIDE — Two people were killed and three others were injured on Friday when the driver of an SUV plowed into multiple cars and a group of pedestrians in Manhattan. The driver was arrested and faces multiple charges.
An NYPD spokesperson said officers responded to the intersection of West 109 Street and Amsterdam Avenue around 6 p.m. on Friday after receiving a 911 call about multiple pedestrians struck by a car.
According to police, 61-year-old Elvin Suarez was driving a Mercedes-Benz SUV north on Amsterdam Avenue when he collided with a parked and unattended Volkswagen Jetta SUV near the West 109th Street intersection.
Suarez continued north through the intersection, police said, driving over a concrete island on the northwest corner, where he struck four pedestrians before colliding with a parked Chevrolet Astro van occupied by a 51-year-old man.
Subsequently, police said the van was pushed forward, triggering a chain-reaction collision with four parked, unattended vehicles.
EMS responded and took the four pedestrians, the driver of the Chevy, and Suarez to Mount Sinai Morningside, where two of the pedestrians were pronounced dead. Police later identified them as 46-year-old Jason Negron and 35-year-old Michael Saint-Hilaire, both of Manhattan.
Suarez and the remaining three victims were all in stable condition, police said.
Following the incident, police arrested Suarez and charged him with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault, and driving while intoxicated.
The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad.
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