SUV plows into man on sidewalk before hitting Queens building

ASTORIA, Queens (WABC) -- A pedestrian was seriously injured when a driver crashed through the wall of a doctor's office in Queens Friday morning.

The incident happened on Steinway Street and Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria around 10 a.m., after the driver had just been inside Steinway Diagnostic Imaging for an X-ray.

There was pandemonium on Ditmars Boulevard just seconds after the crash.

The SUV was lodged in the wall of a doctor's office. The elderly driver was sitting behind the wheel dazed and confused. And a man was sprawled across the sidewalk in shock.

"We came out and we see the guy right on top of the car, it was terrible, terrible," said Steve Davydov, an Astoria resident.

It wasn't until they saw the surveillance video that people realized how it happened. The SUV jumped the curb, leaving the victim pinned against the wall.

"He has no idea what's coming, just out of nowhere getting hit like that, the guy was in shock," said Roman Davydov, an Astoria resident.

The victim was identified as 40-year-old Edsel Dsouza, and lives in the neighborhood.

The driver was identified as 74-year-old Hristos Kefaloukos, who told police he absent-mindedly hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

"He was stunned, he stood there, he was stayed, he looked really upset and stunned," said Liz Finnerty, an Astoria resident.

Neighbors and shopkeepers, who came running from every direction, were amazed.

"Like, how random? How random that he hit that one person, randomly," Roman said.

"From when you see the video later, the impact that he took the body was unreal," said Steve Iocco, an Astoria resident.

It happened at 10 a.m. and no one in the doctor's office was injured.

The victim is hospitalized in serious condition.

So far, no charges have been filed against the driver.