A mother and her infant found themselves in a horrific accident on Friday morning on the streets of Yonkers in New York, USA. A video released by the Yonkers Police Department on social media platforms shows a car entering the street at a very high speed, in an erratic manner, crashing into the curb and parked vehicles. It soon runs into the woman who is crossing the street with her daughter in her arms. The car then slams into a store on the side of the street, dragging the mother-daughter duo along with it. The victims are then buried under the mangled car inside the store that was identified to be a barbershop. What followed next was a rescue operation, described to be “heroic” by Yonkers Police Department. It involved police officers and some resourceful bystanders from the area.
The police department shared a link to the video of the incident on Twitter and said, “Yonkers police officers and bystanders rescue infant from under a vehicle! Surveillance and body camera footage capturing the rescue of an infant trapped under a vehicle and rendering aid to her mother after an accident!!”
Describing the incident, the caption attached to the Facebook post said, “4th Precinct Officers Fusco and Samoyedny were in a nearby bagel shop getting breakfast when they heard the collision and went to investigate, finding a pedestrian down in the wreckage of the crash inside the barbershop. The officers came to realise that in addition to the adult female pedestrian, her infant daughter was also injured and was trapped under the vehicle.”
The bodycam footage from the officers shows that they, along with the bystanders, lifted the vehicle to pull the 36-year-old woman and her 8-month-old baby to safety. Officer Fusco can be heard screaming, “Grab the baby, grab the baby," as he and others lift and hold the front of the vehicle off the ground. In a matter of seconds, Officer Samoyedny says, "I got the baby." The video shows glimpses of the visibly shocked infant in a Minnie Mouse dress, crying as she is helped out.
“The officers then rendered medical aid to both victims while requesting the necessary additional resources to the scene,” the report said.
Watch the video here. (Disclaimer: The visuals can be disturbing. Viewer discretion advised)
The accident has left the woman with a “serious femur fracture”, while “the infant sustained a skull fracture along with third-degree burns to her back and foot”. Both are under treatment and are “expected to survive their injuries”, the report said. “The owner of the barbershop sustained a minor laceration.”
Speaking to ABC News, Officer Rocco Fusco was quoted as saying, “It's honestly a miracle that both of them survived -- very strong mom and an even stronger little infant."
The operator of the vehicle, who was identified as David Poncurak, is a 43-year-old resident of Yonkers. He was charged for various offences including Driving While Intoxicated. He and a female passenger who was with him in the car did not sustain any injuries, the Facebook post said.
Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said about the incident, “Luckily, two veteran officers of Yonkers' Finest just happened to be getting breakfast next door and quickly took action along with members of the community to rescue a child trapped under the vehicle and render aid to her mother. The actions taken are nothing short of heroic. The individual arrested in this incident will now have to face the consequences of his alleged behaviour,” adding that it was always a tragedy when someone is injured by the reckless and criminal acts of another person. This is only amplified, he said, when those injured include a child.
Reacting to the video, one user by the name of Maria Cioffi said, “Thank God for the quick response of the officers and the bystanders. Prayers for the Mom and baby. Anyone who drinks and drive should be locked up, hopefully, he will be for a long time.”
Seney Moskalik said, “Thanks to the police officers who reacted so quickly and to the civilians who also assisted.”
A comment by James McAuley read, “Chills watching but the cops and civilians did an unbelievable job!”
Mount Vernon Police Department, too, reacted to the video and said, “Amazing job by Officers Samoyedny and Fusco and the other heroes in that shop.”
