Father of Triplets Among 2 Men Killed After Suspected Drunk Driver Plows Mercedes Into Crowd

A 61-year-old Mercedes driver, suspected of driving under the influence, killing two men and critically injuring three others on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Friday.

According to the New York Police Department, cited by The New York Post, the incident occurred at about 6 p.m. at 996 Amsterdam Ave. between West 109th Street and Cathedral Avenue.

The suspect, who was heading northbound on Amsterdam Avenue, first crashed into multiple parked vehicles, including a grey Volkswagen and a minivan, before hitting five men, outside a barbershop.

Describing the crash, a 65-year-old witness David Lawrence described the crash as a "horror show."

"He was basically crushed between the parking post and the black Mercedes," he stated, adding, "It was unsettling, truly unsettling. It looked like a Halloween setup. Just his head and his arms were completely disfigured."

Another witness, Eva Santiago, stated that the man was "just swerving, driving really fast," before the driver crossed the median, went into the air, came down and landed on the group.

Meanwhile, a third witness cited by ABC7 said he approached the scene and saw "one person on the ground who I could tell immediately that he was struggling for life if he had any left."

After the crash, which left three men on the ground, Janice Diaz, a retired EMT, began performing CPR on an unconscious man.

"I am just yelling, 'Back up, back up! I'm an EMT, I'm trying to help! Someone help me to hold his head and call 911!'" said Diaz, adding, "These are all people from our neighborhood."

The victims and the driver, were immediately rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital in critical condition.

Of the five victims, two were killed: a 46-year-old doorman and a 35-year-old father of triplets who worked at a hospital.

"He just got an apartment downtown. Everything was going well for his life," his best friend Zubosqui Garcia according to The New York Post. He’s gonna be missed, man. He’s gonna be missed by many. To lose him like this was something so reckless."

Meanwhile, a 63-year-old local resident, Kenny Wong, said he planned to meet the group but instead went to play the lottery.

"I was about to go this way to sit with them, and I said, ‘Let me go to the left and play my number instead.’ That is what saved me, because otherwise I would’ve been killed," he said.

According to his account, when he arrived at the scene he saw a guy underneath the car, and "another guy next to him, which a girl was trying to give him CPR."

"Then I got the other guy… I pulled him out of the car," he added.

Following the incident, the NYPD warned locals to "expect heavy traffic and emergency vehicle presence in the vicinity," in a post on X.

"Due to a collision investigation, expect heavy traffic and emergency vehicle presence in the vicinity of West 109 Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. Expect delays and avoid the area if possible," the NYPD NEWS wrote.

The driver, who told Wong that he blacked out after experiencing a stroke, authorities said they suspected impairment and was later taken into custody, the police stated. Charges against him are pending.