A terrible traffic accident last night at Forsyth Street and Canal Street left one person dead and several others injured.
It happened just before 7 p.m. when the driver of a minivan plowed over a curb while attempting to park, striking 7 pedestrians. A 56-year-old man was killed. The New York Times reports that at least two of the victims are hospitalized in critical condition.
Police say the driver, 70 years old, has been identified as Henry Herman of Monroe, NY. He apparently mistakenly stepped on the gas instead of the brakes. After jumping the curb, the minivan took out two fruit carts and knocked over people on the sidewalk. Police announced last night that they arrested Herman and charged him with seven counts of failure to yield to pedestrians and one count each of failure to exercise due care, unsafe backing of a vehicle and driving on a sidewalk.
The mayor took to Twitter last night, saying, “Terrible car crash on Canal Street has killed 1 pedestrian and injured 6 more. A full NYPD investigation is underway. We cannot accept loss of life on our streets as inevitable. We will continue working hard every day to reach #VisionZero.”
Terrible car crash on Canal St has killed 1 pedestrian and injured 6 more. A full NYPD investigation is underway. We cannot accept loss of life on our streets as inevitable. We will continue working harder every day to reach #VisionZero.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 27, 2018
NY1 obtained surveillance camera video showing the crash.
NEW: Surveillance video obtained by @NY1 shows driver backing down street and crashing into a fruit stand, where 1 person was killed and 6 people were injured. pic.twitter.com/qfV7G5oEQL
— Myles Miller (@MylesMill) November 27, 2018
Police said Deng Zhang Chun, 56, of Elmhurst, Queens was killed in the crash.
