The NYPD arrested a woman accused of striking seven people with a Honda Accord after running a red light in Midtown Manhattan during the night. Among the group hit by the car were two Italians identified as Matteo Maj (51, a graphic designer) and Giulia Gardani (34, a tennis instructor) from Piacenza.
Monica Maj, Matteo’s sister, revealed that the two were in New York as the final leg of an American trip that had taken them first to Chicago and then to Boston. They were supposed to return to Italy today.
Maj had recently undergone facial surgery, and this afternoon, he will undergo another surgery for a tibia and fibula procedure. Gardani, who arrived at the emergency room in critical condition, underwent a lengthy five-hour surgery for a cervical spine injury.
The police reported that the 29-year-old woman did not stop after hitting the pedestrians and was subsequently arrested in Queens after being involved in an accident with three cars on the Long Island Expressway near the Clearview Expressway.
Photos and videos circulated after the impact showing the victims bleeding on the sidewalk.
An NYPD spokesperson stated that, at the moment, there is no indication that the collision was intentional or related to a terrorist act.
