Police said the driver struck parked vehicles before mounting the curb near West 109th Street.
NEW YORK — Two men were killed and three others were critically injured Friday evening when a Mercedes driver lost control on Amsterdam Avenue and struck pedestrians on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, police said.
The crash happened about 6 p.m. at 996 Amsterdam Ave., between West 109th Street and Cathedral Avenue. Police said the Mercedes was traveling north when it hit parked vehicles, including a gray Volkswagen and a brown minivan, then jumped the curb and struck five men.
The two men who died were 35 and 46, police said. Three other men, ages 36, 44 and 51, remained in critical condition. The 61-year-old driver was taken into custody and brought to St. Luke’s Hospital. Authorities were investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash.
Witnesses described a fast, violent chain of impacts on a busy block lined with shops and parked cars. One witness said he saw a victim on the ground and knew the man was “struggling for life.” Cellphone video from the scene showed bystanders trying to lift the vehicle after one person became pinned underneath.
Neighbors said several of the men who were hit had been standing or sitting outside a barbershop. People inside the parked minivan refused medical attention, police said. The crash left debris along the curb and drew a large emergency response as officers closed part of Amsterdam Avenue for the investigation.
Police had not released the victims’ names by Saturday morning. Investigators were reviewing video, witness statements and vehicle damage to determine the sequence of the crash. The driver’s condition and the exact charges he may face were still being reviewed as the case moved forward.
By Saturday, the block remained shaken by a crash that killed two people in a place where neighbors said many residents know one another. “This block is a small block,” one witness said. “Everyone knows each other.”
The investigation remained active Saturday, with police expected to release more details after notifications to relatives and a review of evidence from the scene.
Author note: Last updated May 16, 2026.