NJ substance abuse counselor charged in LES drunk driving crash that killed 3

A New Jersey substance abuse counselor was charged with vehicular homicide and other charges on Friday after police said he drove his pick-up truck into a park on the Lower East Side where families were celebrating July 4, killing three people and injuring eight others.

Police said Daniel Hyden, 44, drove a Ford F-150 into Corlears Hook Park, between Water Street and Cherry Street, just before 9 p.m. on Thursday.

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey told reporters at the scene on Thursday night that Hyden was heading east on Water Street at a “high rate of speed” when he blew through the intersection, drove up onto the sidewalk and into the park.

Hyden, of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, was charged with vehicular homicide, eight counts of assault, three counts of driving while intoxicated and one count of “aggravated unlicensed operator,” or driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Two people were killed immediately, police said, and a third person was reported dead on Friday morning. The two who died right away were Lucille Pinkney, 59, and Hernan Pinkney, 38. Police identified the third person as 43-year-old Ana Morel, who was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

“Responding officers who arrived on the scene did smell some alcohol, but we are still in the process of doing testing with our highway unit,” Maddrey said.

Maddrey added that detectives believed the driver was intoxicated. Hyden once worked for a substance abuse center in East Harlem, according to police officials and an employee at the site. Records show he earned a master’s degree in psychology and addiction counseling from Aspen University in 2022.

Police were investigating the crash scene Friday morning, where a Barbie doll and yellow children’s bike were beside Hyden’s gray pick-up truck.

FDNY Chief of Safety Mike Meyers said that when first responders arrived, firefighters had to lift the truck off of four victims who were pinned beneath it.

Maddrey added that people at the scene initially grabbed the driver, pulled him out of the car, and made sure he didn’t leave until police arrived.

A 30-year-old woman remained in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital as of Friday afternoon, according to a police spokesperson. Seven others, including an 11-year-old boy, remained hospitalized in stable condition.

“This is just one of those tragic incidents that's really going to impact this community, and we’re going to come in and make sure counselors are here,” Mayor Eric Adams said at the same press conference.

Several people were still being treated at local hospitals Friday, police said.

Liam Quigley contributed reporting.

This story has been updated with new information .