Nine people were injured, two critically, when a speeding SUV rammed into a guardrail on the New England Thruway in The Bronx early on Friday, police said.
The black 2013 Escalade was traveling northbound near the Baychester Avenue exit ramp in Eastchester around 5:15 a.m. when the driver lost control and crashed the car, according to police.
“I feel terrible for the people. Horrible. It was mangled in a million pieces. The impact had to be enormous,” witness Andre Campanile told CBS/Channel 2.
Neighbors were stunned by the gut-wrenching sound of the crash, another witness, Balkar Sangh, added.
“Everybody came out of the store to see — big noise, you know. Then somebody called the police,” Sangh told the TV station.
The 32-year-old driver lives in Rockland County and has a Taxi and Limousine Commission license — but his license may have been revoked, 1010 WINS radio reported.
Two women and seven men were in the vehicle and all of the passengers were Bronx residents, ranging from 24 to 36 years old, police sources said.
The driver, who is the registered owner of the vehicle, and the eight passengers were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center.
The driver and one passenger suffered serious injuries and are listed in critical condition, said a spokesman for the medical center.
The other seven passengers are listed in stable condition and are undergoing tests and examinations, authorities said.
Investigators said they are looking into whether alcohol or drugs may have been involved.
“My understanding is that excessive speed was probably a significant factor in that incident,” NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
A ramp near the site of the crash has caused several accidents, neighbors said.
“This exit is actually known for that because people take that exit way too fast all the time, so there’s always kinds of accidents,” Campanile said.
The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad was on the scene and there were no other vehicles involved in the accident, according to officials.
Additional reporting by Natasha Velez
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly cited a report from CBS/Channel 2 that stated the driver in this accident worked for Prime Time Global but was not on duty at the time of the crash. Prime Time Global never employed the driver in this accident.