Kingston police say a Midtown man was under the influence of drugs when he plowed into a woman and three children on Broadway Tuesday night.
Cops say the incident occurred around 10:25 p.m. as the unidentified 20-year-old woman was returning home from the city’s Independence Day fireworks display, pushing her 18-month-old-daughter in a stroller and accompanied by two girls aged 9 and 12. Police say the group was crossing Broadway when an eastbound car driven by Robert A. Russell, 59, of Liberty Street plowed into them.
KPD Lt. Thierry Croizer said all four victims suffered “serious” injuries but were expected to survive. The 20-year-old, Croizer said, was taken to intensive care at HealthAlliance Hospital’s Broadway Campus where she gave birth early Wednesday morning. The woman’s daughter and the 9-year-old were transported to Albany Medical Center for further treatment, Croizer said.
Russell was taken into custody at the scene. He was initially charged with misdemeanor driving while ability impaired by drugs, failure to yield to pedestrians and other vehicle and traffic violations. On Wednesday afternoon, police announced that Russell was additionally charged with felony first-degree vehicular assault. Russell was arraigned in Kingston City Court and jailed on $10,000 bail.