Red-light runner sparks chain crash that kills 2 in Brooklyn
An out-of-control driver ran a red light in Brooklyn on Monday, setting off a horrific chain-reaction crash that left two pedestrians dead and injured five others, according to police.
The 49-year-old man blew through the red light on 18th Ave. at 64th St. in Bensonhurst around 12:50 p.m., cops said.
He slammed into a black Honda heading east on 64th St. and spun out of control onto the sidewalk, shocking surveillance video from the scene shows.
An employee at a pizzeria on the block recalled the terrifying crash.
“He came down flying this way,” Vito Conigliaro said of the driver. “There was a big explosion . ... He hit that car and then that light pole and went up on the sidewalk.”
Conigliaro watched as the driver — who he said was behind the wheel of a white Toyota Camry — slammed into a woman crossing the street.
“She was bleeding on the floor all over the place,” he said. “They were pounding her chest but she wasn’t responding.”
The Toyota mounted the sidewalk and slammed into a light pole.
“There were two passengers in the [Toyota],” Conigliaro said.
“The guy in the rear flew into the front and his head went through the windshield. It was sticking out of the windshield.”
When he turned his attention to the black Honda the driver slammed into, he saw one of the victims had been nearly ejected from the car.
“The guy in the black car was dead,” the shaken witness said. “The woman was inside. They had to take the car apart to get her out.”
Two people were taken to Maimonides Hospital, but they could not be saved. Another was taken to the same hospital, where the person was clinging to life as of Monday evening.
Four others were also transported to area hospitals and were expected to survive.
The driver who sparked the crash stayed at the scene and was taken into custody, police said.
He was not immediately charged as police continued to investigate the crash. Police are investigating whether he was drunk.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Conigliaro said of the crash. “I’m still wondering what the hell happened.”