Impaired driving: SUV strikes pedestrian in Upper East Side

New York traffic was stopped in the Upper East Side on a recent Thursday evening. Chaos was caused by a man who is accused of impaired driving when he crashed into a store on the corner of East 64th Street and Madison Avenue. He knocked down a pedestrian in the process.

A spokesperson for the New York Fire Department who was at the scene said a 40-year-old man lost control of the SUV he was driving. The vehicle struck the pedestrian after mounting the curb. Reportedly, he also hit a lamp post, a mail box and a trash can. This sent debris flying before he crashed into Vacheron Constantin — a luxury watch boutique among other stylish stores such as Giorgio Armani, Alexander McQueen and Chanel.

The vehicle finally came to a halt after it crashed into the store. While firefighters and police worked the accident scene, the driver and the pedestrian were rushed to a hospital. Reportedly, both had suffered critical injuries. A 73-year-old passenger who was also traveling in the SUV was taken to another hospital for treatment of injuries reported to be minor.

According to a police report, the man was allegedly under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident. Authorities say he is now facing charges of impaired driving and vehicular assault. The most logical thing for any New York driver who is facing such charges to do would be to retain the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney. A lawyer can examine the charges and the evidence to form a basis for a defense that will aim to achieve the best possible outcome.

Source: Upper East Side, NY Patch, “Upper East Side Crash Driver Was On Drugs, Will Face Charges, Police Say“, Brendan Krisel, July 21, 2017