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The incident took place around 8:30 a.m., Friday, July 23, at 124 Lake Ave., in Yonkers, when David Poncurak, age 43, was driving north on Morningside Avenue when he turned into the westbound lane of Lake Avenue, Yonkers Police Sergeant Frank DiDomizio said.
While doing so he hit a curb, a parked car, and two people as he continued to accelerate and drove into the barbershop, said police.
At the same, two Yonkers police officers, Rocco Fusco, and Paul Samoyedny were in a nearby bagel shop getting breakfast, when they heard the screaming and commotion and ran to help.
When the two arrived on the scene, they found a 36-year-old woman down in the wreckage of the crash inside the barbershop and quickly realized that her 8-month-old daughter was trapped under the vehicle, said Yonkers PD Sergeant Frank DiDomizio.
"The officers with the help of bystanders heroically listed the vehicle off of the baby so she could be rescued and given aid," DiDomizio said.
The officers then rendered medical aid to both victims while requesting the necessary additional resources to the scene.
The mother sustained a serious femur fracture and the infant sustained a skull fracture along with third-degree burns to her back and foot.
Both the mother and the infant were transported to a local trauma center where they are still being treated but are expected to survive their injuries.
The owner of the barbershop sustained a minor laceration.
No other injuries were reported.
Poncurak was detained at the scene, as was a female passenger. Neither sustained any reported injuries.
An investigation round that Poncurak was driving on a suspended license and found an alcoholic beverage in the vehicle, DiDomizio said.
After a blood alcohol/drug test was done, Poncurak was arrested and charged with:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Vehicular assault
- Aggravated unlicensed operation
He was held overnight in the Yonkers City Jail awaiting arraignment. He is due back in court on Friday, Aug. 6, and is being held at the Westchester County jail on $500,000 bail.
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