Deadly Drunken July 4th Car Crash In NYC Leaves Community Devastated: ‘You Took Something Very Important’
July 4th took a turn for the worse after a deadly car accident occurred in the Lower East Side of Manhattan Thursday night that left the community devastated.
Three residents were innocently enjoying their Independence Day weekend when drunk driver and self-proclaimed "addict" Daniel Christopher Hyden tragically plowed through 11 people in his 5,000-pound Ford F-150 truck.
The driver barreled over the sidewalk, through a metal gate, and into the area where partygoers were enjoying their holiday within the confines of Corlears Hook Park, located at Water Street and Jackson Street's intersection.
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Pickup truck just plowed through a park in the Lower East Side of NYC.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 5, 2024
Six people were injured and four of them are in critical condition.
The driver was described as extremely intoxicated.
Pray for the victims.
🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/mUhLIGU41N
"You took something very important to me, and I don't know how long it's going to take for me to come back from [this]," Diamond Pinkney said of his mother and sibling, who were among three innocent residents killed in the horrific crash.
Diamond's mother Lucielle Pinkney, 59; brother, Herman Pinkney, 38; and East Harlemite Ana Morel, 43, all lost their lives on the night of July 4th, and now a grieving Diamond is calling for the suspected drunk driver to fess up.
"Own up to what you did," Diamond said to Hyden, 44, per 'The New York Post.' The 29-year-old was reportedly home when the accident occurred and claimed he heard the yelling from his house.
"We heard a loud bang. We thought it was a firework, but it wasn't," he stated per 'The Post.' Diamond explained that he knew something was wrong when people began screaming his name.
"They were yelling their names. Then yelling my name," he said. "My family was very well known here. Everybody knows us," Diamond said of his beloved mother and brother — who are well-known in the community for their love and support for those in the neighborhood.
All three victims were declared dead at Bellevue Hospital, per the news outlet.
Mayor Eric Adams shared a heartfelt word with the neighborhood during a community gathering Sunday, in addition to police officials and fighters from Fort Pitt fire station, who warmly stated that they came "to support the community."
