By C.J. SULLIVAN and PHILIP MESSING
Last updated: 11:45 am
July 18, 2008
Posted: 3:33 am
July 18, 2008
A suspected drunken driver careened into oncoming traffic in front of a Staten Island police station yesterday, triggering a three-car crash, authorities said.
Nine people were injured, one critically.
The suspect, in a Chevy Astro minivan with three passengers, was driving north on Hylan Boulevard near Bryant Avenue in New Dorp at 6:20 p.m., sources said.
Suddenly, he lost control and the van jumped the median, hitting a man who was crossing the street, witnesses said.
The van veered into traffic and hit a 2005 Mazda, carrying two women, in front of the 122nd Precinct station house, sources said.
SEE THE PHOTOS: Crash Injures Nine
"It happened so fast, it was like a train wreck," said a shaken Maria Carapella, whose car was hit by the smashed Mazda.
Cops from the station and Highway District 5 helped the victims.
Sal Corso, 72, an ex-cop cut off by the van, said the injured pedestrian was unconscious for 10 minutes, "then he opened his eyes."
There was one arrest for drunken driving. The suspect's name wasn't immediately released.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona
