Last Wednesday about 4 p.m., a young woman was hit by a small van as she crossed Third Ave. in, or close to, the crosswalk at St. Mark’s Pl. The vehicle — from Ben Hur Moving & Storage company — was accelerating to pass a taxi that had pulled over to pick up a fare. The woman, who appeared to be in her 20s, was thrown more than 20 feet by the impact, according to a witness. She tried to get up, but other pedestrians stopped traffic and told her to lie still and wait for an ambulance. One passerby cradled her head to stabilize her in case of neck or head injury. He was soon joined by a firefighter who arrived on foot. A front corner of the van’s hood was visibly dented from the force of the impact. The woman remained conscious the entire time, as E.M.S. technicians placed a neck brace on her and transported her by ambulance to the hospital.
