Local woman arrested in five-car accident on Third

A Bay Ridge woman was arrested on Monday, June 27, and chargedwith driving under the influence (DUI) after she allegedly made anillegal reverse U-turn on Third Avenue at 88th Street and plowedinto four cars before attempting to leave the scene.

The woman, identified by police as 54-year-old Patricia Meyers,was prevented from making a getaway by dozens of Bay Ridgeresidents who ran out into the street Monday afternoon. One manreportedly even drove his car across the street to block her escaperoute.

After being questioned by police officers at the scene of theaccident, where witnesses described her as laughing and beinggenerally unfazed by her actions, Meyers was put in handcuffs andtaken to the 68th Precinct for further questioning and aBreathalyzer test. According to the NYPD, her blood alcohol contentwas 0.077. In New York State, impairment begins at .05 but requiresadditional proof to qualify as a misdemeanor or felony if the bloodalcohol level is below .08.

The spontaneous display of solidarity happened just before 4p.m. when Meyers, who was driving a black SUV with an adult male inthe passenger seat, attempted to leave her parking space on ThirdAvenue.

Witnesses said that the woman hit the parked car in front of herbefore going full speed in reverse, clipping a car carrying foursmall children on the way to slamming rear first into two parkedcars across the street, pushing one of them onto the sidewalk andinto a children’s toy store, and narrowly missing two adult sisterswho dove out of the way at the last moment.

I heard the bang as she hit the first car. Then she hit anothercar. Then she backed up into this car really, really fast and shetried to get away, but people started running after her and that’swhen she finally stopped, said Javona Bynum. People were standingactually in front of the car so that she wouldn’t leave.

I’ve never seen anything like that. That was wild, added LizFagundo. The lady who was underneath the car, I hope she’s allright.

The Bay Ridge residents nearest the out-of-control vehicle wereindeed all right. My sister’s a little shaken and in a little bitof pain, said one of the women while an emergency medical workeradministered to her sister. I heard the bang, saw [the car] comingand pushed my sister aside. We fell to the ground.

The owner of Kaleidoscope, Paul Trinidad, said he went out andpulled the women inside. The driver did a skid turn, like in avideo game, said Trinidad. She looked like she didn’t evencare.

I ran over to her window and called 9-1-1 and she was in hercar, laughing and smiling and drinking like it was a Sunday drive,said Beth Ho. The police were afraid it’d become a brawl becausepeople were yelling at her. When they arrested her, people wereclapping.

Samir Saleeby, whose white Lincoln Towncar was plowed into andpushed into the toy store, said that his car was totaled and towedaway Monday evening. He said that he had to pay $95 for the car’sremoval.

Another driver, who wished not to give her name, said that shewas clipped by Meyers’s SUV but managed to get away with her fouryoung children still safe in the car. I drove a block, parked andthen ran over to make sure she didn’t get away. I saw an older mangive her a cup of coffee.

Agent Wright, a traffic agent who was writing a summons acrossthe street, was nearly hit by the SUV and described the incident ashorrific.

I can’t understand how someone can do that, said resident JimMcCauley, who came upon the scene around an hour after it occurred.Thank God it wasn’t a few minutes earlier, when school let out.Can you imagine, all those kids here?

Liam La Guerre and Helen Klein contributed reporting to thisarticle.