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Vehicle strikes pedestrians in midtown NYC; 3 seriously hurt

Pedestrians walk past a vehicle involved in an crash on the corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, Monday, June 8, 2015, in New York. The Fire Department of New York says a vehicle struck pedestrians near Central Park and The Plaza Hotel, injuring four people, some with serious injuries. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Pedestrians walk past a vehicle involved in an crash on the corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, Monday, June 8, 2015, in New York. The Fire Department of New York says a vehicle struck pedestrians near Central Park and The Plaza Hotel, injuring four people, some with serious injuries. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

By Associated Press June 8, 2015 1 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – A vehicle making its way through a high-traffic part of midtown Manhattan on Monday afternoon suddenly swerved into a pole and struck pedestrians, the Fire Department of New York said. Four people were injured, three of them seriously, including the driver.

Officials said the crash occurred just before 3 p.m. near Fifth Avenue and East 59th Street, not far from Central Park and The Plaza Hotel.

Street vendor Frank Bruno said he heard the car accelerating before it crashed into the pole. The vehicle “hit a man and he flew up in the air about 7 feet, 8 feet,” he said.

He said the man and another woman hit by the car were bleeding. Bruno said he ran over to the car to check on the driver and saw him slumped over and bleeding, as well as apparently foaming from the mouth and shaking.

Fire officials said the patients were taken to hospitals.

Further details on the circumstances weren’t immediately available.