Authorities report that a suspected intoxicated driver, responsible for the tragic deaths of two men and injuries to three others, was merely two blocks from his residence when the devastating incident unfolded. The crash sent shockwaves through the community and law enforcement is investigating the details.
Elvin Suarez, a resident of Morningside Heights, now faces several grave charges, including manslaughter, vehicular assault, and driving while intoxicated, according to police sources.
The chaotic sequence of events was set in motion around 6 p.m. on Friday. Suarez, driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 SUV, collided with a stationary 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SUV near the intersection of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, police indicated.
Ignoring the destruction left in his wake, the Mercedes-Benz proceeded north, crossing the intersection before surmounting a concrete pedestrian island. It struck four men, aged 46, 44, 36, and 35, as confirmed by authorities.
The reckless journey concluded when the vehicle crashed into a parked 1999 Chevrolet Astro van, inside which a 51-year-old man was seated. The incident remains under investigation as the community grapples with the aftermath.
The van was pushed forward, which set off another set of collisions, police said.
The struck Chevy hit four other parked cars including a 2005 Honda CR-V, a 2001 Toyota Sienna, a 2005 Toyota 4Runner and a 2014 Nissan Altima, cops said.
In the hours after the crash, Suarez, 61, a longtime resident of the neighborhood, tested at a .1 blood alcohol content, above the .08 legal limit for driving, a police source said.
The four pedestrians, the Chevy Astro occupant and the Mercedes-Benz operator were taken by ambulance to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital.
Michael Saint-Hilaire, a 35-year-old father of triplets, and doorman Jason Negron, 46, were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Suarez and the others were in stable condition, cops said.