A New York City man who was pinned by an SUV that swerved off road in Upper Manhattan is expected to lose his leg. NBC New York’s Phil Lipof reports.
A New York City pedestrian who was pinned by an SUV following a collision over the weekend miraculously survived the impact, but doctors say he's going to lose one of his legs.
One of 60-year-old Jose Colon's legs is being held together by rods and screws, the other shattered by the vehicle that veered on the sidewalk at 135th Street and Broadway in Harlem on Sunday. That Honda SUV was sent off road by another vehicle and into a group of pedestrians before crashing into a corner store. Colon saw the car coming, warned another pedestrian and possibly saved that man's life.
A surveillance video captured the entire ordeal, showing Colon unable to get out of the vehicle's path in time.
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WATCH HEREColon's longtime partner, 79-year-old Gladis Caraballo, also witnessed the terrifying crash. She said was just feet away and thought that Colon was going to die.
Colon said he was in terrible pain as he was pinned between the bogeda and the SUV. "I was screaming, 'Come and help me. Call 911. Please come and get me, I need help. I need some help,'" he recalled, adding that he could see bone coming out of his leg.
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SIGN UP Doctors told him that the leg has to be amputated from the knee down. Despite the news, Colon appeared to be in good spirit and said he's grateful for the EMTs and everyone who helped save him.
Caraballo and her daughter say Colon is also a hero himself for helping save another man's life with his split-second warning.
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"Yeah, I was lucky. I don't know. I said, 'thank the lord,'" Colon said.
Meanwhile, police are still investigation who's responsible for the collision that sent the SUV into Colon and the bodega. So far, no arrests have been made.
