17 Struck by Van in Chinatown, Two Children Dead

A tragedy is unfolding in Chinatown: One child is dead and others are injured after a minivan jumped a curb and struck them. The incident occurred around 38 East Broadway, near Catherine Street. WCBS 2 reports, "Police say the van apparently backed up onto the sidewalk, striking the children. At least two of the victims were pinned below the vehicle."

According to WABC, two of the victims were taken to NY Downtown Hospital. It's unclear how many children were there, we're hearing estimates of three, five and ten victims. WCBS 2 adds that "at least 75 responders were called to the area of the accident."

Update: NY1 now says 14 people—10 children and 4 adults—were struck by the van. Two children are in critical condition and three children are in stable condition.

Update II: CityRoom reports a second child has died at the hospital; apparently the children were in a day care program—walking in a "daisy chain" with their adult chaperones. WABC: "The children were walking from a library visit back to the Red Apple Child Development Center at 25 Market Street."

A witness told CityRoom the driver "was making a three-point turn. He backed up onto the sidewalk"; then the witness heard the "screaming." However, the AP reports (via NY1) that the driver told police he left the car running while making a delivery and the car kept moving.

Update III: Now it's believed that 17 people were hit by the van. CityRoom says that a 4-year-old girl died immediately, while a 3-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were taken to the hospital in critical condition. The boy died and NY Downtown Hospital chief medical officer Dr. Warren Licht said, "Despite heroic efforts of our emergency-room staff, the child was pronounced dead. Everything possible was tried to save this child’s life.”

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer lamented the "overwhelming amount of truck traffic" in the area, pointing out it has been an issue in community board meetings. WCBS 2 reports he said, "This is something that we have worried about for months and months." And the Post has a heartbreaking witness account, "I ran over and there was a lot of blood. One child was like an accordion, crushed up in a ball. They were hit so hard they were on the floor. The children weren't moving."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on January 22, 2009 4:02 PM

Comments [rss]

FiDi

In another thread about this tragedy on Gotham:

http://gothamist.com/2009/01/24/after_kids_deaths_chinatown_pedestr.php#comments

The mother of one of the victims spoke out and asked for anyone's support to help them find answers. I just can't imagine the pain she is going thru nor would I wish it upon anyone.

Anyway, please read the thread and if you can find it in your heart to help, please do so. I have.

jpeditor

Lets ban all truck traffic in Manhattan...

We don't need no stinking deliveries anywhere.

Once we put Bush in jail Obama will put all the rich pigs' money into hi-tech and develop star-trek materializers, where the goods will just be beamed onto the store shelves and into the restaurant refridgerators. /s off...

Nyctini11

worried about it for months & months???......that area has been a traffic nightmare for years and years IDIOT.

babyhitler

if there was a car barrier bike lane like on grand street this would not have happened

Tower18

How in the world can a regular size delivery van, that ended up only a couple feet onto the sidewalk, run over 17 kids?

RatherBeBiking

It's not clear if anyone was actually run over.

Editrixie

Why can't Gothamist just wait until they get all the facts before they rehash someone else's story?

Oh, and there's a typo:

". . . it has been an issues. . ."

Larry

I never go to Chinatown. It's suicide. They should have been more careful around that truck.

RatherBeBiking

I hope you don't mean the kids should have been more careful. Because that would be fucking retarded.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

He never said it was the children's fault, but the drivers in chinatown are horrible. They don't care about traffic laws.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

No he never said it was the children's fault, but I am very cautious in Chinatown. I don't think those drivers in Chinatown have any regard for traffic laws.

The Edge

For once I agree with you.

The Edge

For once I agree with you.

SeasTooFarToReach

i'm sorry mister driver but how can a van with no one inside, or any type of acceleration at all, strike all those people and kill them! what a phony!

horrible stuff :(

Trilby16

I HATE people making 3-point turns, lazy MFs. Drive around the block if you don't like where you ended up! Where I wait for my bus at night, MFs are always making 3-point turns, aiming their stupid vehicles at me. People DO lose control at times, people. I give them the super-stink-eye. Mofos!

nycviabos

Very sad.

JacqueMehoff

the times city blog wrote they just came from a visit to the library. have a feeling it's affecting the workers there, too. and that photo of the white sheet hanging from some flimsy rope :(

The Edge

I'm just glad this wasn't in front of my job like the ConEd guy.

Ugh.

Future Taliban

GW Bush has been continuously rear-ending our national economy & moral standing for the past 8 years.

No citations have been issued so far.

ROTFL

WOW! Have I got news for you, FT! GW Bush is GONE! There's a NEW GUY in the oval office! How awesome is that? I'm so glad I have the privilege of breaking the news to you! Now, at last, you and others like you can stop your bitch-ass whining and obsessive-compulsive need to insert a GWB reference into every thread, regardless of topic. Now that's what I call hope and change!

Gwinny

Yeah, talk about off-topic, right?

Future Taliban

I have news for YOU: until I see you a-wipes put that stupid dunce into striped clothing along with his entire crew I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.

WAR CRIMINAL.

breaknight

Really horrible. I always found those "daisy lines" w/little kids holding hands so damn cute. Now I'm gonna think about this. Such a strange mental dissonance.

My heart goes out to the parents of these poor kids who were killed.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

I saw recently the children all in a straight line with their hands on the rope lead by the adult. Look like ducklings to me. Tragic story, indeed.

Clarice City

...and let's not forget all the accidents the Fung Wah has caused.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

both in Chinatown, they drive aggressively and the streets are so congested because of all the goods for sale taking up space on the streets.

Rocknrope

Hopefully the driver does the right thing and hangs himself.

Seizure

http://enstxzrnsprxt.6hops.net/Friends_Are_Foreverv27Detail.png

janelle

hopefully charges will be filed eventually/soon. seems to me drivers too often aren't charged in these situations, from some of the news stories i read. maybe it's time to require automatic court cases in the event of death in auto v. ped accidents, that might get people to pay closer attention to their driving. let a jury decide. maybe that's not constitutional, i don't know...

NannyState

More bad news from Chinatown. Was the driver trying to make a U-turn and hit the gas and panicked? I can't imagine anyone doing this intentionally. Horrible.

chickblao

nothing indicated it was intentional, and you're such a sick ugly pig with your stupid typical person statement. "i can't imagine anyone doing this on purpose".

well your imagination is retarded because people do things like that and a lot worse.

fix your imagination you sick animal swine.

NannyState

Spoken like someone whose meds need to be adjusted. You should get your Haldol precription refilled.

FutureMan83

Your article says "a minivan jumped a curb" and you include pictures of a full-size delivery style cargo van straddling the sidewalk. Pretty sad article all-around.

Jen Chung

Initial reports stated it was a minivan. Really, really sad.

fugothamist

this is what happens whena city bends over backwards for automobile traffic and doesn't give a rats's ass about pedestrian issues & safety

yetanotherdamneduselessaccount

You're right, it's the city's fault. Not the driver.

You can't be serious.

fugothamist

failed reading comprehension, eh?

yetanotherdamneduselessaccount

Failed logical analysis, eh?

How do you get from an INDIVIDUAL backing up onto a curb (pure error or inattentiveness or incompetence) and injuring people to the city's traffic policy being the cause?

Seems a stretch to most thinkers. But nice job. Let's continue to not hold INDIVIDUALS accountable for their actions so as not to hamper in any way our society's decline.

JacqueMehoff

this is truly sad now.

PathToWisdom

According to other news sites, 2 are dead

FrankMartin

The curb just doesn't cut it.

I say it is time to line the curb with cement filled steal poles. one every 4 feet. A truly reliable physical barrier between walkers and cars is in order. Maybe start on major cross streets and avenues.

Maybe have some double as bike stands.

UnrepentantFenian

And who is paying for the hundreds of miles of steel and concrete barricades?

kane

And who is paying for the hundreds of miles of steel and concrete barricades?

The same people paying for the emergency services given to those hit by cars on the sidewalk.

FrankMartin

First, one reason the curb exists is to keep motorists on the street. If it doesn't work why not consider something else.

Second, "boo boos"? Two dead. Nerf and helmet jokes. You think that's funny? You find that acceptable? You want to live in a city where this just happens again and again. I suppose calling yourself "unrepentant fenian" answers my question. You can have the burden.

Third, they nerfed the inside of cars years ago and they continue to work on it. Seat belts, airbags, anti lock brakes, crumple zones. The curb hasn't changed in a long time.

Fourth, paying for it. I'd rather pay for that than your welfare checks.

Finally, I like chicken burritos and I always chew 10 times. SO the only thing I'm left too choke on is your pathetic posts.

Clarice City

Not a bad idea. Just about a month ago my husband and I were taking a walk down 6th ave. to the park and just after we finished crossing the street we hear a schreeching metal on concrete crash noise. I whip my head around and a short, fat little woman jumps out of the driver's seat of an escalade that she had just driven over the newspaper dispensers and into the plate glass window of a store.

The cops were already parked across the street and both parties were acting like, "oh well...accidents happen." I wanted to see that negligent little bitch arrested; but no.

Kyle T

Hey, she's driving an Escalade, I'm sure she was texting somebody really important.

UnrepentantFenian

Yes, and why stop there. Cars should be made from nerf and only travel at 12mph. And helmets for everyone lest we get boo boos. And burn the books, they are far too dangerous.

I hope you choke on your vegan burrito.

mdow

Dear UnrepentantFenian, I am sorry your mother and father hurt you. And that the kids at school and on your block did too. Have a little goddamn decency.

People should be able to walk on the sidewalk without having to worry about being run over--barriers seem necessary or this kind of thing will happen again.

CR

If there's any criminality on the part of the driver it won't matter as Morganthau will do what he usually does and blame the victim.

Tragic no matter what.

JacqueMehoff

WTF? did he back into a class trip or something?

Gwinny

That totally sucks -- those poor people. I lived in Chinatown for 4 years and always had my eyes peeled for bad drivers... I saw the most egregiously horrific driving down there! Much worse than most other parts of town.

Wza

wow...sad story..

Spirit of 76

It'll be interesting to see what the real story is. Right now, there are two wildly different stories in the links above. WCBS says the truck backed onto the sidewalk while WABC says it "careened' onto the sidewalk.

Regardless of the cause, one can't read this without feeling a shudder for the victims.