Driver with ties to N.J. struck 7 pedestrians in NYC, cops say

A 29-year-old woman with ties to New Jersey is charged with seven counts of attempted murder after driving her car into a group of pedestrians on a sidewalk^[1] in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday night, authorities said.

Imani Lucas, of New York City, blew through a red light while driving east on West 36th Street at the intersection with 6th Avenue and struck six men and a woman at 11:53 p.m. Sunday, the NYPD said in a statement.

Lucas then continued driving and soon went through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel into Queens, where she collided with two vehicles on the Long Island Expressway, police said. She was arrested following that crash in the area of 188th Street. Neither of the other two drivers was hurt, the NYPD said.

Lucas’ mother told Gothamist.com^[2] that her daughter, who has bipolar disorder, had been staying with her in Belle Mead in Somerset County and that she wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone.

Six of the pedestrians were brought to area hospitals in stable condition, police reported. One man declined to be treated.

Lucas is also charged with seven counts apiece of assault, reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at [email protected].^[4]

References

1. ^{^} driving her car into a group of pedestrians on a sidewalk (www.nbcnewyork.com)
2. ^{^} Gothamist.com (gothamist.com)
3. ^{^} NJ.com (www.nj.com)
4. ^{^} [email protected] (www.nj.com)