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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 61-year-old Manhattan driver faces DWI and manslaughter charges after a Friday evening crash on the Upper West Side that killed two pedestrians and injured several others, according to CBS New York. Elvin Suarez was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 SUV northbound on Amsterdam Avenue when the vehicle veered over a concrete island and struck four pedestrians near West 109th Street.
The collision killed a 46-year-old Manhattan man and a 35-year-old Manhattan man, police said. Two other pedestrians were injured but remained in stable condition at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, where all victims were transported following the crash.
Before striking the pedestrians, Suarez had already collided with a parked 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SUV approximately 40 feet before the 109th Street intersection but did not stop, CBS New York reported. After hitting the pedestrians, his Mercedes crashed into a parked Chevrolet van, creating what police described as “a chain reaction collision” involving four additional vehicles: a 2005 Honda CR-V, 2001 Toyota Sienna, 2005 Toyota 4Runner, and 2014 Nissan Altima.
Witness Eva Santiago told CBS News New York that the driver “was just swerving, driving really fast, and then he drove up over the median. We [saw] the car go up in the air and come down and land on everybody.” Another witness described Suarez as appearing confused and disoriented when he exited his vehicle after the crash.
A man inside the Chevrolet van was also hospitalized along with the pedestrians and Suarez, according to police reports. The NYPD arrested Suarez on multiple charges including two counts of manslaughter, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of vehicular assault, and driving while intoxicated.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred on Amsterdam Avenue near West 109th Street in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood, a busy area with significant pedestrian traffic. Amsterdam Avenue runs north-south through Manhattan and is a major thoroughfare connecting the Upper West Side to other parts of the city, with frequent foot traffic from residents and visitors to the nearby Columbia University area.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate the incident, officials said Saturday. Suarez faces serious felony charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted, including multiple counts of manslaughter and vehicular crimes in addition to the DWI charge. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine all factors that contributed to the deadly crash.
Updates
- Aug 20, 2026: Additional reporting merged into this article: “Teenage Pedestrian Seriously Injured in Motor Vehicle Crash” (source)