lighting up the areas just north
to Kingston and Saugerties. Back
to you, Dave. Thank you. We are
following a developing story
from the Lower East Side, where
a suspected drunk driver lost
control of his truck and plowed
into a park where families were
celebrating the 4th of July.
Sadly, three people were killed.
Eight others were hurt. Today
the driver, Daniel Heiden, was
charged. We have live team
coverage of that crash. We also
have new details about the
victims. Let’s start with News
4’s Myles Miller who was there
when Heiden was walked out of
the police station? Just a
couple of hours ago. Myles Yeah,
and he was heckled by family
members who had family members
who died in this crash. Now, let
me just set the scene for you. We are outside the Vladeck
Houses here and across the
street is Corlears Park, where
those people were mowed down.
For the people who live here,
they’re very close knit.
Everyone knows everybody. And
you will hear that from the people we spoke to today who are
devastated to hear who died and
who was seriously injured at the
hospital. Surveillance video
obtained by News 4 shows the
pickup truck speeding down water
Street moments before it plows
into a crowd at Corlears Hook
Park on the Lower East Side. We
heard the loud crash and we were
sitting on the bench and all we
saw was the truck just
hydroplaned through the gate and
just land. Among those killed,
59 year old Lucille Pinckney and
her son, 38 year old Herman
Pinckney. A third victim, a
woman, has not yet been
identified. Eight others were
injured, one in critical
condition. The crash happened
just before 9 p.m. as families
were celebrating the holiday in
the park. It was a nice day, you
know, people were having fun
there was a whole bunch of
families there, and to see that
it was tragic. The suspect,
identified as 44 year old Daniel
Heiden of Monmouth Junction, New
Jersey, has been charged with
eight counts of assault,
aggravated vehicular homicide
and DWI. Tragic horrific. All
the words you can use. But think
about it a family, a community,
barbecuing, having fun, kids,
children, parents, friends. This
irresponsible person coming out
and block at a high rate of
speed. Apparently drinking runs,
a stop line stop sign and kills
three people. Police say Heiden,
who was a sober counselor, is an
author of a book called The
Sober Addict, billed as a way to
effectively live and cope with
what he called the dysfunctional
lifelong disease of addiction.
Cops say he was intoxicated at
the time of the crash. Heiden
was previously arrested in
February for assaulting a
coworker at a sober treatment
center. Witnesses can’t get the
crash out of their heads. It was
just something you didn’t want
to hear, the people screaming,
people running, people trying to
help, you know? And it was just
it was bad. It was bad. There’s
something I’ll never forget. In
his book, Heiden said his goal
in being a sober counselor was
to try to prevent death. And you
saw what happened here yesterday
driving drunk, police say
causing a lot of death in this
neighborhood. He’ll go before a
judge later tonight. It’s the
latest live on the Lower East
Side. I’m Myles Miller News 4
New York, emotionally charged
situation. Myles. Thank you. And
we continue our team coverage
with News 4’s Jessica
Cunnington, who has new
information about the victims of
this horrific crash. Jess they
were simply enjoying a 4th of
July barbecue when tragedy
struck. It was it was this
family’s barbecue. It was joy.
And then it was absolute
tragedy. And this has really
torn apart this community.
People have been walking by all
day crying and just holding each
other. But one family lost two
members of their family, and
they are right now facing the
reality that they’re gone.
Heuermann I love you. I’m going
to do your proud diamond
Pinckney being held by family
and his neighbors today. His
mother and brother, Lucille and
Herman Pinckney, killed last
night, steps from their home
here on the Lower East Side
while spending time together in
the park, celebrating the 4th of
July. She pushed her hardest to
make sure we always had
everything we needed in life,
and my brother, I had a
wonderful bond with him that
nobody don’t understand. Jessica
Pallot, now using a crutch to
walk was right here last night
with her partner Herman was just
barbecuing, having a good time.
Nobody even saw the car coming.
And in seconds everything
changed, destroyed. He was my
best friend, my soulmate. His
mother was my best friend. Like,
he took everything from me.
Everything It is a pain felt
throughout water and Jackson
streets. A mother and son gone.
It’s just very tragic. It’s to
see. What happens in a community
like this when one of us hurt,
we all hurt. When one of us is
grieving. We’re all grieving. My
brother always try to bring the
community back together. That’s
what we have to do in times like
this. Just bring everybody
together. How much did you have
to drink? And to Daniel Hayden,
the man police say was behind
the wheel of this truck drunk. I
forgive you, I forgive you, not
me, not me, I have to I don’t
know how to forgive, but I
really hope we can get justice
for my brother and my mother.
Definitely We will not sleep
until this man is in prison and
doing life. Even if he rots in
jail. Car. That family saying
they are planning on creating a
gathering and a vigil to honor
every single person from this
neighborhood who was impacted by
this. They also say that they
neighbors here, of course, are
praying for that family. But
also praying for those who are
still recovering at this hour.