Metro

Wild hit-and-run shatters outdoor NYC restaurant space

By
Steven Vago and
Mark Lungariello
Published Sep. 25, 2022
Updated Sep. 25, 2022, 2:08 p.m. ET

An SUV plowed through an outdoor dining structure and hit multiple vehicles in Manhattan on Saturday night – before its driver ditched the vehicle and limped away, witnesses said.

The red Nissan Murano crashed into two cars around 10:15 p.m. then came to a rest on 111th Street between Second and Third avenues after it crashed into a gray Honda CRV, and became wedged underneath the Honda, whose rear end dangled in the air, photos of the aftermath showed.

The unidentified driver plowed through coffee shop Dell’Aria’s dining structure, leaving glass strewn on the scene. The abandoned Nissan had 23 violations in the city, including 13 school zone speeding tickets and one ticket for running a red light, according to a site that tracks local traffic violations.

The incredible aftermath of damage left after a hit and run driver (in red Nissan Murano) slammed into multiple cars before crashing into a dining enclosure and a parked car launching it into the air on E111th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue New York, NY around 10:30 p.m. on September 24, 2022.
A red Nissan Murano driver crashed into multiple cars and an outdoor dinning area before taking off on foot. Christopher Sadowski

The events leading up to the crash weren’t clear and the NYPD was unable to confirm details Saturday but witnesses said the Nissan struck one car blocks away before it hit a Kia.

“Then he went ahead and hit us, trying to squeeze by,” Houston resident Jaffar Mascar, a passenger in the Kia, told The Post.

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The incredible aftermath of damage left after a hit and run driver (in red Nissan Murano) slammed into multiple cars before crashing into a dining enclosure and a parked car launching it into the air on E111th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue New York, NY around 10:30 p.m. on September 24, 2022.
It’s not known at this time if the driver or others were injured during the incident.Christopher Sadowski
The incredible aftermath of damage left after a hit and run driver (in red Nissan Murano) slammed into multiple cars before crashing into a dining enclosure and a parked car launching it into the air on E111th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue New York, NY around 10:30 p.m. on September 24, 2022.
Dinning area the red Nissan Murano crashed into before fleeing.Christopher Sadowski
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The incredible aftermath of damage left after a hit and run driver (in red Nissan Murano) slammed into multiple cars before crashing into a dining enclosure and a parked car launching it into the air on E111th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue New York, NY around 10:30 p.m. on September 24, 2022.
Driver slams into multiple cars before crashing into a dining enclosure and a parked car launching it into the air on E111th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue New York, NY around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2022.Christopher Sadowski
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Mascar, 29, said the car was his aunt’s and he and his brother Stephon followed the driver on foot after the Kia got stuck. They were out celebrating Stephon’s 21st birthday, he added.

“He was coming down full speed doing probably 80 to 100 miles an hour,” Mascar said. He almost hit a heavy set woman. He almost hit her because he had a flat tire from hitting us.”

The driver then lost control and hit the Honda head on before he stumbled out.

“You could tell he was severely hurt. He tried to run away but then came back,” Mascar said. “You could tell once he realized how bad the situation was, he did take off one last time. The cops never got him.”

It wasn’t clear if anyone else sustained injuries in the incident.