Chaotic surveillance video shows moment car slams into New York food truck, killing three people
The New York Police Department said the wreck unfolded on Tuesday a little after 8:30am on 42nd Street near 19th Avenue in Astoria, a neighborhood in Queens.
The video shows a gray Toyota Corolla flying down the road before striking two pedestrians and ramming head-on into the food truck. After the impact, the Corolla spun around and hit a Volvo sedan that was traveling northbound on 42nd Street while it was attempting to make a U-turn to go south.
Debris from all the vehicles involved was scattered all over the street as police and paramedics rushed to the scene to render whatever aid they could.
The 84-year-old man behind the wheel of the Corolla and the 70-year-old pedestrian were both transported to Elmhurst Hospital, police said. Neither of them survived.
The other pedestrian who was hit, a 42-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The driver of the Volvo was unharmed and no other injuries were reported.
Giancarlo Caruso was standing right next to the men who were standing on the street who were killed and said the car 'missed me by a millimeter'.
'All of a sudden I hear loud screeching from tires and a really loud engine roar. It sounded like it was right on top of me. Someone screamed really loudly,' Caruso said.
'As soon as I heard that scream and the screeching, I stepped back and a vehicle going about 60 miles an hour mauled two of the customers that were with me,' he added.
'I felt the wind hit my leg and like I said, the gentleman right next to me got struck really bad.'
Caruso said he went into 'fight or flight mode' after the collision. He saw someone trying to rip the door off the Corolla to help the driver out, so he ran over to help out before calling 911.
When asked to describe the scene and the victims, Caruso said the two men who were hit were 'laid out and lifeless'. He also saw blood on the windshield of the Corolla.
Francisco Neto, the owner of a doggy day care on the street where the crash happened, said he knew one of the pedestrians who was killed.
He identified him only as Joaquin and said he managed Astoria Discount Tire right across the street from his business.
Neto said he got close to Joaquin after he introduced himself about a year ago when the tire shop first opened.
The NYPD declined to confirm the identity of any of the victims when contacted by Daily Mail.
'The guy who died, his name is Joaquin. Very nice guy. He helped us a lot with the cars here. He just replaced all four of my tires the other day,' Neto said, adding that he was in his mid-forties.
'It's sad,' he added. 'Everybody here is a mechanic, tow truck, tire shop, but I know them. I've been here for almost 10 years.'
The NYPD told Daily Mail that no arrests have been made in connection to the crash, but clarified that they are still investigating what happened.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
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