Police are saying that a jammed-up floor mat by the driver side pedals set the stage for a freak accident that left 14 injured when Theodore Saretsky drove through the window of a Hanukkah party in Woodmere. After originally claiming that he thought there was a problem with his SUV's accelerator that led to the crash, now it appears that the mat got wedged between the gas and brake pedals. Nassau County Police spokesman Kevin Smith said, "The mat had slid up and started to roll up, almost like a roll of wrapping paper. Part of that roll was on top of the accelerator, and the other part was behind the brake, and it almost acted like a fulcrum. The harder he stepped down on the brake, the faster the car went. So he's confused by this, and as he looks down, his car veered left into a parked car, and then vaulted into the building." Meanwhile, today's Post credits one man, Dovi Faivish, as being the "modern-day Hanukkah miracle" hero that spotted the SUV about to crash through the party hall window and immediately moved children out of the way, potentially saving several lives. All 14 hospitalized are expected to survive.
Published Dec 28, 2008
Modified Dec 28, 2008
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