In an attempt to avoid colliding with a cab, an NYPD patrol car swerved into an outdoor dining area in upper Manhattan on Monday afternoon, injuring two pedestrians, according to authorities.
Around 4:10 p.m., the police car was heading north on Broadway with its lights flashing and its sirens blaring when the incident happened in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
An NYPD spokesperson stated that the automobile was traveling through the crowded hallway when a yellow taxi from the south tried to make a slow left turn onto West 112th Street, right into the path of the approaching patrol car.
The squad car swerved to avoid a collision, but instead it crashed into an outdoor dining area where two people, a 74-year-old woman and a 63-year-old male, were sitting.
According to reports, the police car hit both diners before stopping. The collision also injured a 32-year-old passenger who was being transferred at the time, as well as the three officers inside the car.
All six people were taken by emergency personnel to St. Luke’s Hospital, where, as of Monday night, their conditions were classified as stable.
Authorities did not explain why the person was being transferred, nor did they reveal the identify or health of the person riding in the police car.
According to authorities, the 37-year-old taxi driver who was engaged in the collision received a summons for failing to yield to oncoming traffic.
Read Also: Family Seeks Justice After 84-Year-Old Woman Killed in Southwest Side Crash
Although the cops’ emergency lights and sirens were on at the time of the collision, it is still unknown if they were actively responding to a call.
Concerns have been raised by the incident over the safety of outdoor dining spaces located near major intersections and the ability of emergency vehicles and civilian traffic to coordinate on crowded metropolitan streets.
According to NYPD officials, the investigation is still ongoing. Other than the taxi driver’s traffic summons, no charges have been brought.
Following the collision, the scene—a well-traveled section of Broadway close to Columbia University—was promptly blocked off, attracting worried bystanders and temporarily interfering with local traffic and business operations.
