An actor and stuntwoman was one of several pedestrians injured by a reckless New York City driver who now faces an attempted murder charge.
Carrie Bernans, the 29-year-old performer, was in critical condition on New Year's Day after being pinned under a food truck she had been walking near when the fleeing driver struck it.
In a post to Bernans' Instagram, the stuntwoman's mother, Patricia, said the truck falling knocked Bernans unconscious and left her with multiple broken bones, fractures and chipped teeth. An update Tuesday said the new mom had undergone one surgery, but pelvis injuries have left her unable to put much weight on her legs for the time being.
"She's in so much pain but healing," Patricia wrote in one post, alongside a graphic photo of Bernans' facial injuries. "Amidst the chaos of the New Year's incident, she's holding onto an immense sense of gratitude for life itself."
Police said they were informed of a physical assault between a 44-year-old male driver and a 34-year-old passenger and arrived at 33rd Street and 6th Avenue — where the pair were in a black Mercedes — around 1:30 a.m. to try to de-escalate the situation. Officers on foot told the man to put his vehicle in park, but he fled the scene, soon turning the wrong way onto a one-way avenue.
In the spree, the driver is reported to have hit multiple cars and run up onto the sidewalk twice, striking the food truck and at least five pedestrians — including two police officers — in his path.
Officers removed the driver from his vehicle after he mounted the sidewalk a second time and arrested him on charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and driving while intoxicated.
The other pedestrians were hospitalized for their injuries and are all in stable condition, though the driver's condition was said to be critical.
Patricia said her daughter — who was a stunt performer in "The Color Purple," which was released last month — will be "inoperative" for a while due to her injuries. On GoFundMe, she also wrote Bernans also can't breastfeed her 8-month-old son, who was in a hotel room with family at the time of the incident, due to medications she has to take during recovery.
While Bernans is unable to work, Patricia asked for the public's help in supporting her daughter through upcoming bills, including teeth reconstruction, surgery, physical and mental therapy, child care, groceries and other financial support.
In an Instagram story Tuesday, Carrie Bernans said she is still in "so much pain" but thanked the public for their support.
