Carrie Bernans, a stuntwoman and actress who worked on The Color Purple, The Walking Dead, 9-1-1 and other shows, was seriously injured by a driver trying to flee police officers in New York City.
Bernans’ mother, Patricia Lee, posted details about the accident on her daughter’s Instagram page Monday.
The post included a picture of Bernans in a hospital bed and said she suffered broken bones, fractures, and chipped teeth.
The longtime stuntwoman was walking by a food stand with a friend when she was struck by the vehicle and pinned underneath the stand, the post said. Bernans was one of nine people injured in the collision, including three police officers.
Also Read: Fox 11 News Crew Covering Story on Sidewalk Struck by Driver in Hollywood
According to local news station WABC-TV, the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, when an “out-of-control driver” hit pedestrians and police officers near Times Square, where nearly a million people had just watched the ball drop.
Authorities told the TV station a man in a black sedan was involved in a dispute with someone else. When officers tried to intervene, the driver stepped on the gas and took off in the wrong direction down 7th Avenue.
The vehicle jumped the sidewalk and returned to the street multiple times, crashing into pedestrians and others cars during the “blocks-long reckless driving spree,” the station said.
“Everybody was just in a good mood, going home and then boom, that happened,” Johnathan Dobbs, who witnessed the mayhem, told WABC.
The pursuit ended when the driver slammed into a restaurant and struck a nearby food cart, leaving Bernans pinned underneath.
Bernans’ mother said she’s “she’s holding onto an immense sense of gratitude for life itself.”
Of the three injured police officers, one was hospitalized in stable condition. The other two were treated at the scene.
The 44-year-old suspect was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical but stable condition. Charges against the man are pending.
Watch a news report on the accident below:
