Vehicle collision sends UPS truck careening into scaffolding, injuring two in Midtown

Scaffolding was left bent and disjointed after a dramatic Midtown traffic collision, police said.

According to NYPD sources and eyewitness accounts, a van driver lost control on West 38th Street and 8th Avenue just before 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, hitting a UPS truck that then hurtled into nearby scaffolding and garbage containers, spilling their contents.

A source close to the investigation reported that the UPS driver was at the back of his vehicle at the time of the incident, which sent the driver tumbling with his cargo before desperately running to safety. A 27-year-old pedestrian also suffered a leg injury as a result of the accident. Both individuals were rushed to a nearby medical facility and are expected to recover. The van remained at the scene.

Responding police officers cordoned off the scaffolding while pedestrians were left shocked by the accident. Some shook their heads in disbelief while others snapped photos with their cellphones.  

One local business owner said he saw the whole thing from inside his shop.

“The truck hit the UPS truck and pushed it into the scaffolding. It was very, very loud, wow,” the witness shared.

“It was like a Michael Bay movie,” another local storefront worker told amNewYork Metro. “It was scary.”