Witnesses laud injured Budweiser deliveryman for saving toddler during Queens hit-and-run

NEW YORK — A traffic stop in Queens turned into a hit-and-run that ended with multiple pedestrians having to be rushed to the hospital, including a toddler.

As CBS2’s Alecia Reid reported Wednesday, one of the victims is being hailed as a hero.

The incident could have ended a lot differently than it did. Thankfully, all the victims are in stable condition, including a man who witnesses said pushed a child out the way to safety.

“The Budweiser deliveryman is the real hero because he actually pushed the little girl out of the way for her not to go under the car,” Ridgewood resident Carlos Lopez said.

Witnesses said the gentleman put his life on the line to save a child.

“The guy was literally there with his leg broken like …,” resident Ivette DeJesus said, holding back tears.

It all started with a traffic stop. Police said the driver of an SUV had an expired license. Surveillance video from a nearby building shows police pulling the driver over near George Street and Wyckoff Avenue.

Before they were able to get the driver out, he sped away, barreling through a number of pedestrians, including a 2-year-old in a stroller.

“The blankets were flying in the air — a blue blanket, a yellow blanket, a pink blanket,” DeJesus said.

NYPD officers did not pursue, but stayed at the scene. Three adults were also injured, including a 28-year-old who was pushing the stroller. While it was all unfolding, witnesses say the deliveryman, lying there with a leg injury, was worried about others.

“In the middle of working he’s like, ‘Is the baby OK? Call my job,'” DeJesus said.

The suspect remains at large. The vehicle was abandoned in the 83rd Precinct.