Car hits pedestrians in lower Manhattan, NYPD says

A lower Manhattan car crash injured six people near Broadway and Liberty Street on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, police said. Photo Credit: John Roca

A crash that injured six people Thursday afternoon in lower Manhattan was possibly caused by a medical incident, a law enforcement source said.

The 62-year-old driver of a black Lincoln Continental first collided with a gray Ford Explorer shortly before 1:30 p.m. near the corner of Broadway and Liberty Street, causing the Ford to careen into a cyclist, police said.

The Lincoln then continued down Liberty Street, struck a red Mercedes-Benz and mounted the sidewalk, hitting three pedestrians and slamming into a parked car, authorities said.

The pedestrians, cyclist and the drivers of the Ford Explorer and the Mercedes were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. The driver of the Lincoln was taken into custody, but was not charged as of Friday morning.

NYPD Deputy Insp. Mark Iocco said Thursday police were investigating the incident as possible road rage, but a source said Friday the driver of the sedan may have had a medical incident that led to the crash. Further details were not immediately available.

Bill Fuchs, 71, saw the EMTs load the bicyclist — a woman — into an ambulance.

“They had her in a stretcher and a neck brace,” he said. “She seemed responsive and was awake. I don’t know if she had a helmet. I hope she did.”

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

With Nicole Brown