2 dead, 3 critical after driver crashes into pedestrians on Upper West Side, NYPD says

Key Points:

• Two people were killed and three others critically injured after a 61-year-old driver lost control and struck pedestrians on a sidewalk on Amsterdam Ave. near 109th St. in Manhattan's Upper West Side.
• The driver, who may have been under the influence, jumped the curb around 6 p.m. Friday, hitting a 35-year-old man and a 46-year-old man who died at the scene, while three men aged 36 to 52 were hospitalized in critical condition.
• Witnesses described the driver as swerving and driving at high speed before mounting the curb, with one person reportedly pinned under the vehicle; the driver appeared confused and disoriented after exiting the car.
• Police are investigating the incident as an accident and have not filed any charges against the driver at this time.
• Community members, including a retired EMT, responded immediately to assist victims, emphasizing that those affected were local residents known to others in the neighborhood; the street remained closed for hours following the crash.