A Nissan Rogue became a rogue Nissan at Third Avenue and 82nd Street Wednesday afternoon when it jumped the curb and smashed into the front of a corner delicatessen.
Witnesses said that the motorist, who was in his early 20s, veered into the Kasper Polish-American Deli at 2:10 pm after speeding around a double-parked car.
No one was hurt except for the driver, who was rushed to Lutheran Medical Center with minor injuries. No arrests were made, police said.
Nearby storekeepers said that the Rogue was behind a car that had pulled over to park on Third Avenue, and the young driver decided not to wait: gunning the gas and zipping around the double-parked vehicle, where he lost control of his car.
“I heard the screeching of some tires, and then a bang,” explained “Zee,” an employee at the United Grocery on Third Avenue between 81st and 82nd streets. “I ran outside and I saw this white colored car against the wall.”
The car smashed the deli’s front window and caused extensive damage to the building’s facade. Employees closed the store shortly after firefighters pulled the car away.
A call to the deli was not returned.
“Zee” said accidents of this magnitude were rare on Third Avenue, but speeding is a continuing problem along the two-way commercial strip.
“I see people speeding all the time, especially the young ones,” he said. “We would be standing outside the store and see people fly by. It’s unbelievable.”
