Driver arrested after car crashes into Carroll Gardens deli; 2 people injured
According to police, a 24‑year‑old man driving a 2013 Mercedes‑Benz was traveling northbound against the flow of traffic on Henry Street when he collided with a 2019 Audi driven by a 37‑year‑old man heading eastbound on Union Street.
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Two people were injured after a two-vehicle collision sent another vehicle through a Carroll Gardens deli storefront Sunday morning.
According to the NYPD, the two-car collision caused a black Audi to jump onto the sidewalk and crash into the front of the deli at 532 Henry St. just before 8:30 a.m.
Surveillance video shows a white Mercedes-Benz speeding down the street before colliding with the Audi, sending it through the glass storefront. Deli owner Khalid Sarsour said he and an employee ran to the back of the store after hearing the crash.
“All the sudden we just heard, like, squeak breaks and I see a car just jump in the air and hit in my front windows and all the glass shattered and everything - we got traumatized,” Sarsour said.
Police say the Mercedes-Benz was driven by a 24-year-old man traveling northbound the wrong way on Henry Street when he collided with a 37-year-old man driving an Audi eastbound on Union Street.
Sarsour said the narrow, heavily trafficked intersection makes reckless driving especially dangerous.
“This is a very, very narrow street, very congested area. You cannot drive wrongly anywhere else in this world because you end up killing yourself and killing other people,” Sarsour said.
EMS transported the Audi driver and a female passenger from the Mercedes-Benz to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for treatment.
The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.
The crash left neighbors stunned as crews removed the damaged vehicles and secured the building. Resident Nicole says she was surprised to see such a serious crash happen in the area.
“There’s like a police station here. Speed bumps, lights. It’s just really unexpected,” Nicole said.
But another neighbor, Francis, said crashes caused by dangerous driving have happened before.
“It’s people not paying attention and driving the wrong way. It’s happened a couple times since I’ve been here, and I’ve been here 40 years,” Francis said.
As crews continued repairs, Sarsour said his focus is getting the deli back in business.
“Construction wise - it’s going to take a few days, but it is going to be finished and we will continue back in the business,” Sarsour said.
Police say the Mercedes-Benz driver is in custody, but no charges had been filedas of Sunday evening.
The exact cause that led to the crash was not immediately known as of Sunday evening.
