Manhattan truck crash kills one and injures two pedestrians

A fatal accident occurred on the morning of September 10 in Lower Manhattan when a cargo-laden Chevrolet flatbed truck mounted a sidewalk near the intersection of Canal Street and Bowery. The vehicle, which was carrying wooden pallets, struck three pedestrians in what witnesses described as a rapid sequence of events.

A 77-year-old man, identified as Ting Jun Ye, died after being transported to Bellevue Hospital. Two women, aged 52 and 71, were also struck and remain in stable condition at the same hospital.

The driver, 66-year-old Milton Bolton Williams of Albany, reportedly continued driving after the initial impact, striking a sedan near Hester Street before coming to a halt. Police took Williams into custody; while he showed no signs of impairment during sobriety testing, he claimed the accident was caused by brake failure. Investigators noted that Williams has a history of 18 driving violations since 2018.

The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is leading the investigation to determine if the crash was caused by mechanical failure or driver negligence. The intersection of Bowery and Canal Street has been noted for its history of pedestrian safety concerns.