At least one person has died and nine others were injured in New York City's eastern Bronx following a chain-reaction crash. The incident, which involved several vehicles and pedestrians, occurred shortly after 2pm in the Allerton neighbourhood.
Authorities and media reports indicate that a motorist drove through a busy intersection, striking pedestrians before colliding with multiple vehicles. The driver involved reportedly told a witness they were attempting to beat a traffic light.
The New York fire department (FDNY) confirmed that emergency medical crews treated nine individuals. Surveillance footage reportedly shows a white Mercedes-Benz hitting pedestrians in a crosswalk and then crashing into cars waiting at a traffic light.
Preliminary findings from the NYPD suggest the Mercedes rear-ended two vehicles with such force that they were pushed into two additional vehicles. Among the victims, four women were reportedly struck while in a crosswalk; one woman was pronounced dead at Jacobi medical center, two others were in critical condition, and a fourth was expected to survive.