Two New York police officers saved a baby that was pinned underneath a car after the vehicle crashed through the windows of a building, surveillance and bodycam footage of the accident from Friday last week revealed.
In the full video, a car is seen swerving out of control, striking a pole and a parked car before colliding with a pedestrian and crashing through the large front windows of a brick building.
Footage from Yonkers Police Department officer Paul Samoyedny shows the accident from inside the building in what appears to be a salon. In the video, Samoyedny apparently speaks into his radio, saying, “We got a baby under the vehicle.”
He then walks over to the car and shoves a chair to the side as civilians and a second officer, Rocco Fusco, attempt to lift the car off the victims.
“Somebody’s gotta pull the baby. Somebody’s gotta pull him out,” one of the officers says.
As Fusco continues trying to lift the car off the baby, Samoyedny clears more debris from the area.
“Grab the baby, grab the baby,” Fusco says, at which point the baby’s cries can be heard over the chaos. “Come on, come on, kid.”
Samoyedny then pulls the sobbing baby from under the wrecked car. “I got the baby. I got the baby,” he says.
According to Fox 5 NY, one of the victims, a 36-year-old woman, suffered compound leg fractures and the infant’s skull was fractured. Police Commissioner John Mueller said both are expected to make a full recovery, largely due to the heroic actions of the officers and civilians in the shop.
“The pedestrians were a mother and child who suffered significant injuries but are stable at this time,” Sgt. Frank DiDomizio said in an email to the local Fox outlet. “The accident investigation is ongoing.”
The shop’s owner also suffered minor injuries, including a cut to his stomach.
TMZ reported that the drive was identified as 43-year-old David Poncurak, who was allegedly driving under the influence. He was arrested for DWI and police say they found an alcoholic beverage inside the car. NBC News reported that Poncurak also faces one charge of second-degree vehicular assault, and authorities said he did not possess a license. A woman was also in the car with the driver, but she was not injured in the crash.
