Two people are dead, and seven others have been injured after a suspected drunk driver plowed his vehicle into a park on the Lower East Side of New York City, police said Thursday night.
The Fire Department of New York arrived on the scene within three minutes and found four victims pinned under a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck, officials said.
FDNY worked alongside NYPD’s emergency services unit to remove the patients from under the vehicle, according to the authorities.
Two victims were pronounced deceased, police said. Two victims were left in critical condition, three victims in serious condition, and two victims with non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
Among those hospitalized are a mother and her two young children, police said.
First responders smelled alcohol at the scene, police said. Tests are being conducted to determine whether the driver was intoxicated during the incident, they added.
The driver, who is suspected of drunk driving, was pinned down by good Samaritans and held until police arrived on the scene, officials said.
Authorities said that terrorism is not suspected at this time, although the investigation is ongoing.