Surveillance cameras at a Staten Island laundromat captured the moment when an elderly driver drove his car through the storefront, plowing through customers and equipment on Sunday.
Six people were rushed to a local hospital. Three suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the other three suffered minor injuries, said authorities. Police said the driver was among the injured.
Police called the incident an accident and are not pressing charges against the 74-year-old driver.
Zoraida Michelle was inside the laundromat at the time of the incident with her father and daughter.
“We had this explosion, and we see the car coming but he was coming so fast there was no time,” she told CBS-affiliate WCBS.
The footage shows the driver gunning his white SUV in reverse through the glass storefront and finally coming to stop at the back of the store.
Michelle’s family members were temporarily pinned against the car and the laundry equipment. Her daughter was hospitalized with injuries to her legs.
“Her legs looked like they were twisted up,” she said. “I just held onto her hand until they came.”
Witness Josephine Torlone said she asked the driver what had happened.
“He said, ‘I was in reverse and I hit the gas pedal.’ So he probably panicked,” she said.
Michelle said her daughter and father still have a long road to recovery ahead of them but she is grateful they made it out of the incident with their lives.
“It’s just a miracle that they’re here,” she said.