Four people are dead and nine are hospitalized after a car rammed into a Long Island nail salon.
The crash occurred around 4:42 p.m. on Friday at 796 Grand Avenue in Deer Park, according to WABC.
A minivan drove through the building and the driver was transported to the hospital partially conscious.
All of the deceased are said to have been inside the nail salon at the time of the crash.
‘There were people trapped and we extricated them and transported everyone to area hospitals,’ Deer Park Third Assistant Chief Dominic Albanese said. ‘They were trapped inside. Everybody was inside the salon.’
Four dead and nine hospitalized after a car crashed into the Hawaii Nail & Spa salon in Deer Park
‘It’s horrible. It can be tough for the community and tougher for the volunteer fire department, but you know we’re going to get through it.
‘It’s just a horrible thing to see especially in this coming year with all the good things happening and graduations and whatnot.’
Video shows a chaotic scene at the strip mall, which also contains a liquor store and Dominican restaurant, with a massive police presence.
Approximately 150 firefighters and paramedics from nine different fire departments and eight ambulances responded to the scene.
Video shows a chaotic scene at the strip mall with a massive police presence
An emergency helicopter landed at the scene to help transport those injured to the hospital
An emergency helicopter landed at the scene to help transport one victim to the hospital.
A white van is pictured in front of the store as first responders break through the wreckage to get inside.
One witness told CBS News they saw the minivan driver swerving while trying to pass cars and lost control on the roadway where there is a 30 mph speed limit posted.
Eric Perez told Newsday he was loading groceries into his car in the parking lot across the street when he heard the crash.
‘We saw the ambulance and emergency workers pulling one body out, and I saw two women I think worked there come out on stretchers,’ he said.
This is a breaking news story, more to come.
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