New Jersey drug counselor charged in drunk driving crash in LES that killed three people

A New Jersey drug counselor was charged with involuntary manslaughter and other offenses on Friday after police said he drove his pickup truck into a Lower East Side park where families were celebrating the Fourth of July, killing three people and injuring eight others.

According to police, 44-year-old Daniel Hyden drove a Ford F-150 into Corlears Hook Park between Water Street and Cherry Street shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday.

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

Hyden, of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of assault, three counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of aggravated driving without a license.

Two people were killed instantly, police said, and a third person was pronounced dead Friday morning. The two who died instantly 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.

“The police officers who arrived on the scene could detect a slight odor of alcohol, but our highway patrol is currently still conducting tests,” Maddrey said.

Maddrey added that investigators believe the driver was drunk. According to police officials and an employee at the scene, Hyden previously worked for a drug rehabilitation center in East Harlem. Records show he earned a master’s degree in psychology and addiction counseling from Aspen University in 2022.

Police examined the scene of the accident on Friday morning, where a Barbie doll and a yellow children’s bicycle were found next to Hyden’s gray pickup truck.

Mike Meyers, safety chief for the New York Fire Department, said when rescuers arrived, firefighters had to lift the truck off four victims trapped underneath.

Maddrey added that people at the scene of the accident initially grabbed the driver, pulled him out of the car and made sure he did not drive away until police arrived.

A 30-year-old woman was still in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital on Friday afternoon, according to a police spokesman. Seven other people, including an 11-year-old boy, remained in stable condition at the hospital.

“This is one of those tragic incidents that will really impact this community, and we will step in and make sure there are counselors on the scene,” Mayor Eric Adams said at the same press conference.

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

Liam Quigley contributed reporting.

This story has been updated with new information.