SUV Crashes Into Indian Restaurant

Across from a autumn-themed children’s festival, an SUV carrying Cemephise Gilles—a senator in the National Assembly of Haiti, Haitian government’s legislative branch—crashed into the Indus Valley restaurant at 100th Street and Broadway on Sunday afternoon.

The SUV, which was turning left onto 100th Street, hit the building after a brief collision with a northbound taxi. No serious injuries were reported.

“I heard some screeching, and then I saw the car turn really slowly into the restaurant,” said Merissa Morin, who was selling produce across the street at the Morningside Montessori School’s annual Fall Festival. “The glass just exploded out of the wall.”

In the SUV were Gilles and five members of her party, at least two of whom were briefly trapped in the car until emergency workers removed its roof using the Jaws of Life. In the taxi were a male driver and a female passenger.

A New York City police officer said that all passengers in the cars were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital but that they suffered only minor injuries.

“Everybody was conscious and standing,” another officer said.

Morin and several other witnesses said that the accident may have been caused by a third car cutting off both the SUV and the taxi. They also said that when it hit the building, the SUV was swerving to avoid colliding with the taxi.

“The car that was at fault just drove away,” Morin said.

Phuman Singh, the owner of Indus Valley restaurant, said his property had suffered limited damage.

“We have to close the sidewalk café. The main restaurant is okay,” he said. “We are lucky.”

Singh and his staff said few customers were present at the time of the accident, although a party had vacated the table closest to the window shortly beforehand.

“There were two people sitting right over there,” employee Kabin Hamal said. “They just left like one minute before.”

mary.kohlmann@columbiaspectator.com