Box Truck Accident Injures Pedestrian

The crash was caused by a box truck that hit a light pole

MANHATTAN, NY- Nbcnewyork.com reports that an early morning crash injured one pedestrian in Manhattan. The crash was caused by a box truck that hit a light pole and flipped onto its side around 5 a.m. near the intersection of Third Avenue and 59^thStreet.

The pedestrian is said to have suffered serious, although not life-threatening injuries in the accident. The cause of the crash is still unknown.

The accident led to further traffic-related injuries when a taxi cab ran into two of the officers who were investigating the box truck accident and then hit a police car. The officers who were hit suffered minor leg injuries and the officer who was in the car that was struck complained of neck pains. The three injured police officers were brought to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center for treatment.

The taxi driver was apparently changing lanes to avoid the accident site when he struck the two officers who were on foot and then ran into the vehicle. Police say charges are not likely to be filed against the taxi driver.

While traffic-related fatalities in New York City have dropped for four years straight, the lower number of deaths has been largely the result of fewer pedestrians being hit killed in traffic accidents. Pedestrian deaths have dropped by 45% since 2013. The Vision Zero initiative supported by Mayor Bill de Blasio has been credited with the improvements. However, the efforts have not been able to help other forms of traffic-related deaths. The rate of rate of fatalities for cyclists, motorcyclists, and occupants in motor vehicles went up slightly last year.