A toddler was fatally struck by a car driven by a teen Tuesday morning according to the New York Post. The incident occurred on 97 Street and Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side in front of Asian Fusion Cuisine, a restaurant.
The unidentified 18-year-old was reportedly speeding away from the authorities when he struck a 3-year-old and the child's 58-year-old grandmother.
"He sped up to get away from the police -- that's when he hit the lady and the child," a witness said.
The child and the grandmother were walking on a sidewalk when the car came speeding down the intersection.
"I heard the noise, I came into the street, and they were lying on the sidewalk in front of the crushed window," said Chris Prostko, a near by super.
Both victims were rushed to St.Luke's Hospital where the 3-year-old later died from her injuries. According to a witness, the child was unconscious and covered with glass when the EMS arrived on the scene. It has been reported that the grandmother survived the incident but no specifics of her injuries are known.
It's unclear if the driver was injured during the incident. He was immediately arrested by police. The charges the driver are facing has not been released.
Members of the community, mother's and children, gathered at the scene of the crime in disbelief. It has been reported that accidents are not unusual at the location of the crime because it is often busy.
"I cross this street everyday," Sherry Shermon said. "I hold my children's hand because this is a dangerous intersection."
