‘It Happened So Fast': 4 Hit by Car on Long Island, 1 Seriously Injured: Police

Suffolk County police say a motorist has struck four pedestrians, injuring one of them seriously, on Long Island.

A 2004 Mercedes Benz driven by Abdelkader Barka hit the pedestrians who were walking partly in the travel lane of a road. It happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. Thursday in Port Jefferson Station.

Police say 19-year-old Jonathon Caba was taken to the hospital suffering from a serious head injury. Twenty-two-year-old Yaviel Calderon was treated and released for a leg injury.

Two others, 18-year-old Jerry Vargas, and 20-year-old Aneudi Dilone, refused medical treatment. Barka, the driver, was treated at a hospital for a panic attack.

Police said Barka initially left the scene but returned. Detectives believe he did not know he struck a pedestrian and believed someone had thrown something at his windshield. 

One teenage witness said "it happened so fast" that she barely saw it. 

"The one guy was launched all the way, like 10 feet. He was really injured," she said. 

Everyone involved in the accident lives in Port Jefferson Station.

An investigation is continuing. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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