A festive Halloween celebration outside a Brooklyn police station turned into a scene of terror when an allegedly drunk driver plowed onto a crowded sidewalk, striking six people, including three young children, and smashing into an ambulance parked nearby.
The frightening crash unfolded shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday, October 29, as families gathered for a “Trunk or Treat” event outside the NYPD’s 83rd Precinct in Bushwick. What was supposed to be an afternoon filled with candy, costumes and Halloween fun quickly descended into chaos as parents desperately scrambled to protect their children.
Witnesses described hearing an enormous crash before seeing injured people on the ground and terrified families running for safety. Some initially feared they were caught in a shooting because of the sudden noise and panic.
Police have now identified the driver as 56-year-old Michael Marsh, who was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including driving while intoxicated and vehicular assault.
According to investigators, Marsh was driving a black sedan near Knickerbocker Avenue and Bleecker Street when he lost control and drove onto the sidewalk where families had gathered for the NYPD-sponsored celebration.
The vehicle struck a parked ambulance and multiple pedestrians, leaving three children and three women injured.
The victims included two girls, ages 6 and 11, an 8-year-old boy, and three women, ages 31, 53 and 74. All six were transported to area hospitals, including Bellevue Hospital, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and Elmhurst Hospital Center.
Despite the frightening circumstances, authorities said everyone was in stable condition, with no fatalities reported.
For parents who witnessed the collision, however, the experience was nothing short of terrifying.
One mother attending the celebration with her 9-year-old daughter recalled hearing the violent impact and immediately fearing gunfire.
“We thought it was a shooting. That’s how bad it was,” she told reporters, describing the confusion as families began running in different directions.
She said the force of the collision was overwhelming and that several people suffered visible injuries, leaving children who witnessed the crash deeply shaken.
Another mother, Caira Lewis, described the desperate moment she realized her daughter was in danger.
Lewis said she instinctively pushed her child out of harm’s way as the vehicle came toward the crowd, an action she believes helped protect her little girl.
“I had to throw my baby behind me,” she recalled while holding her daughter following the crash.
Still visibly shaken, Lewis struggled to describe the frightening scene.
“I’m shaking right now. I can’t breathe,” she said. “I want to go home.”
Despite the chaos, Lewis said her young daughter appeared more concerned about the Halloween festivities than the frightening events that had just unfolded.
“She only cares about the candy right now,” the mother explained.
The celebration had been organized as a family-friendly event where children could collect treats from decorated vehicles while interacting with local police officers.
Instead, emergency personnel found themselves responding to a mass-casualty scare directly outside the precinct.
Photographs and videos from the aftermath showed police officers, paramedics and firefighters tending to injured victims as emergency vehicles crowded the surrounding streets.
One video obtained by News 12 captured the frantic response, including emergency workers surrounding an ambulance and assisting people injured in the collision.
As investigators began examining the crash, their attention turned to the driver’s condition.
Police said Marsh displayed signs of intoxication and subsequently underwent alcohol testing. According to updated reporting, investigators determined that his blood alcohol level exceeded New York’s legal driving limit.
Marsh was taken into custody and charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular assault, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired and additional traffic offenses.
Authorities also cited him for driving on the sidewalk and operating a vehicle without wearing a seat belt.
His 46-year-old female passenger was initially detained following the collision but was not facing charges as of Friday morning.
Investigators emphasized that there was no indication Marsh deliberately targeted the police station or families attending the Halloween event. Authorities also said the crash was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
The circumstances surrounding how Marsh lost control remain under investigation.
The incident has renewed concerns about impaired driving and pedestrian safety, especially during community events where large numbers of families gather near busy streets.
For the parents who witnessed the crash, the frightening experience transformed what should have been a joyful holiday memory into something they will not soon forget.
Yet amid the chaos, there was considerable relief that all six victims survived.
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