On Thursday, Oct. 29, a van jumped the sidewalk and plowed into a Halloween event outside the NYPD's 83rd Precinct in Bushwick, Brooklyn, injuring six people, including three children. The driver, Michael Marsh, 56, reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.26 and was charged with vehicular assault and other offenses.
According to the New York Post, on Thursday a van drove over the sidewalk and into a Halloween event hosted by the NYPD's 83rd Precinct in Bushwick, Brooklyn, injuring six children and adults. The driver, Michael Marsh, 56, was charged with vehicular assault. Law enforcement officials said Marsh's blood alcohol content was 0.26.
The crash happened during a "Trunk or Treat" event in front of the 83rd Precinct, near Knickerbocker Avenue and Bleecker Street. According to police, the victims were a 31-year-old woman and her two daughters, ages 6 and 11; an 8-year-old boy; a 74-year-old woman; and a 53-year-old woman. All six were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities said Marsh's vehicle also struck a private ambulance that was waiting outside for the event.
Marsh, a Crown Heights resident, faces charges of reckless endangerment, three counts related to drunk driving, driving on a sidewalk and failure to wear a seat belt, in addition to vehicular assault. A 46-year-old woman who was a passenger in the vehicle is expected to receive a traffic summons. Police said Marsh has no recent criminal record in New York, but was arrested three times on robbery charges in 1999 alone.
The crash occurred as children and residents were gathered at an outdoor event in front of the precinct, when a vehicle driven by an intoxicated driver went up onto the sidewalk. With outdoor events for children continuing throughout the Halloween season, the incident is likely to raise questions about both road safety around event sites and drunk driving.