SUV Slams Into Bronx Store; 2 People Injured
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two people suffered minor injuries late Tuesday afternoon, when a vehicle slammed into a store in the Bronx.
The sport-utility vehicle went out of control and up on the sidewalk, and struck the Garden Gourmet Deli at 627 E. Tremont Ave. in the Tremont section of the Bronx around 5:50 p.m., officials told CBS2.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, a family from Yemen spent years building the store into a thriving business. But late Tuesday, that family faced thousands of dollars in damage and a long night of cleanup.
Surveillance video showed the moment the 2002 BMW jumped the curb in reverse and smashed into the storefront. Only a low wall kept it from penetrating further into the business.
"I heard a huge explosion. It sounded like a bomb," said area resident Milton Chiarelli.
Chiarelli was inside the building at the time, and was grateful that his only injury was a cut finger.
"God is here, I'm telling you," he said. "I was thrown to the ground - completely covered in glass."
The Bronx man who was behind the wheel told police the accelerator stuck as he pulled out of a garage across the street.
"I think maybe the pedal got locked or something, so he just went back and he couldn't stop," said deli owner Al Gazali. "He's a regular customer, actually."
Two people suffered minor injuries, officials said.
One man suffered a cut leg in the accident. The deli cashier was hit by falling objects and was taken to the hospital with shortness of breath.
Late Tuesday afternoon, East Tremont Avenue was packed with people, but just before the accident, the sidewalk suddenly cleared.
"There's usually people right here," said area resident Milagro Candelaria. "It's a miracle."
The deli owners took the excitement in stride -- relieved that the most serious damage was only to property and not to people.
