Car Jumps Curb on Court Street, 5 People Injured

Yesterday afternoon, a woman drove her car into a bus shelter in Brooklyn. Luckily the bus shelter was just completed or else there could have been even more injuries than the five that were reported. WABC 7 reported that the driver was double parked when another car needed to get by. The second car's driver "sat on his horn until the woman in the Maxima moved from the passenger seat and got behind the wheel."

The Maxima's driver may have gotten "flustered" and accelerated into the crosswalk, hitting two people, and then driving into the bus shelter, where three other were hit. The Sun says that driver has been identified as Paphany Bernette and other reports say she is not a licensed driver (she may only have a learner's permit). Bernette will likely face charges of reckless endangerment and vehicular assault.

Since the accident occurred in busy Cadman Plaza where the courts are, the Post reports that attorneys were on the scene handing out cards to victims. A court employee said, "It was disgraceful."

And double parking of passenger vehicles is illegal at all times (PDF) but there are some times when a commercial vehicle or truck can double park.

Photograph from WNBC/Brian Gibbons - see the whole slideshow

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By Jen Chung in News on October 24, 2007 10:08 AM

Comments [rss]

JMH

"Luckily the bus shelter was just completed or else there could have been even more injuries than the five that were reported."

This is a nonsensical statement.
Kittyempire, I think the point is that the shelter was just completed but not in use yet, so there was nobody in it when the car hit it.

JenChungsBaby

Some precincts let people double-park during alt-side and some don't. It varies.

I concur wholeheartedly that the worst drivers in the world are from Connecticut. And the worst Connecticut drivers are those in BMW SUVs. The bitch probably panicked because she's used to driving down empty streets where nobody ever double-parks or blows their horn at anybody. And never mind pedestrians -- she probably hasn't seen one in years.

JRod5417

The neighborhoods in Brooklyn Heights/downtown are the most ticketed in Brooklyn. Believe me, the traffic cops are very busy there.

Rocknrope

#14, they are getting tickets, or at least they are now. I saw a traffic cop going right down the line of street cleaning doubleparkers in Park Slope. If the driver was not present in the car, he got a ticket.

fransam

Double parking is illegal even during street cleaning times? This happens so much in Brooklyn (especially between 3rd & 4th avenues in Gowanus) that I thought it was legal. How are these people not getting tickets?!

Elderta

Beware drivers with CT plates. Seriously. Whenever I drive, I stay as far away as possible from Connecticut and diplomatic plates. It's just something I've noted over time.

kittyempire

"Luckily the bus shelter was just completed or else there could have been even more injuries than the five that were reported."

This is a nonsensical statement.

Peter

CT plates?

I believe so.

Paphany's "panic" story is so absurd I cannot imagine how she could have come up with it.

JMH

See what happens when you let women drive?

Oh relax, I'm kidding.

MT

Bloodsucking ambulance chasers.

dbc

The Post story notes that the Maxima's driver may have had a seizure.

drewo

Automobiles - don't they bring out the best behavior in people?

"Flustered" fool drives into a bus shelter.

Off-duty cop is upset by the lack of courtesy from another driver - so he decides to kill the other driver.

89 year-old-man on the Upper East side killed by a speeding hit-and-run this morning as he crossed the street, with the light.

Terrorism in 4-wheeled form on the streets of New York City - but don't those rims look sweet!

HughGass

animals

JRod5417

Wow! I'm surprised that bus shelter didn't completely collapse.

bklynd

CT plates?

ed_Extinct

not good. at least no one was killed.

jibbly

All I gotta say is...look at the rims on that maxima!

cwbuecheler

I hope the idiot that double-parked and the idiot that sat behind him laying on the horn both feel particularly good about this ...

That said, if you're not confident enough in your ability to drive to avoid "getting flustered" and hitting five people, you should probably just sit there and deal with the horn, rather than trying to move the car.

The victims and associated vulture-lawyers are going to have a field day.