Two people are in critical condition after a wrong-way driver slammed into a Nissan sedan in Brownsville early Thursday, then fled the scene.
According to police, the driver of a Chevy Impala was driving the wrong way on Chester Street at around 1 a.m. this morning, when they crashed into the passenger side of a vehicle with five occupants at Sutter Avenue. The impact caused the sedan to flip on its side, and reportedly burst into flames.
By the time police arrived, the Impala's driver had fled—it was unclear whether there were any passengers in the car. Of the five people in the Nissan, two were rushed to Brookdale Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The victims are believed to be a man and a woman, both in their 20s.
The collision occurred outside PS 323, just hours before the first day of school. Debris from the fiery crash remained scattered along the street earlier this morning.
There have been at least 147 total traffic fatalities—including motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists—on city streets this year, a more than 26 percent increase from this time in 2018, according to data maintained by the NYPD.
Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver, and the investigation remains ongoing.
