What to Know
- Four people were hurt when an SUV jumped a curb in NYC, crashed into two pedestrians and screamed into a cellphone store and a restaurant
- Police say the man behind the wheel of the SUV, an Uber driver, was arrested for driving with a suspended license after the crash in Chelsea
- Uber told News 4 the ride-sharing service will help police in their investigation and the 'driver’s access to the app has been removed'
An SUV jumped a curb in Chelsea and slammed into two people before crashing into a cellphone store and a busy restaurant, police say.
At least four people were hurt in the crash that happened at West 17th Street and Sixth Avenue around 3:30 Monday afternoon, according to officials.
“Blood and gasoline was spilt all over the street," witness Ana Alarcan said. “A lot of panic. It was like a bomb.”
The person behind the wheel of that SUV, an Uber driver, police say, was arrested for driving with a suspended license. The driver, later identified as 43-year-old Amir Saleemi of Edison, New Jersey, claimed he had gotten distracted when his passenger became sick. When another car cut him off, police believe Saleemi swerved to avoid hitting it and lost control, sending the black SUV over the curb into the T-Mobile store and Gogi Grill restaurant.
Amid the crumbled metal were two injured pedestrians. The Uber passenger and Saleemi were also hurt, but police said all four people suffered minor injuries.
Uber told News 4 the ride-hailing service will help police in their investigation.
Local
“This is a very concerning incident and the driver’s access to the app has been removed while we look into this,” Uber said in a statement.
