Off-duty officer charged with manslaughter after car jumps curb in Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- An off-duty NYPD officer is charged with driving drunk and manslaughter after slamming into a group of friends in Williamsburg, killing one of them and injuring 3 others.

Witnesses said the speeding SUV lost control, jumped the curb and barreled straight toward them.

"It looked like the SUV swerved to not hit the cars across the street that were parked, and ran into the apartment building, and there was a group of like 8 people," said eyewitness Jaminah King.

Chaos followed as people came not only to help the injured, but prevent the driver, later identified as an off-duty police officer Nicolas Badka, from leaving the scene.

"I see this girl lying on the floor, so I lift her head up because she was bleeding from her head and her leg," said Angie Zielinski, "I ran across the street, and I called 911, and the driver jumped from the driver's side to the passenger side, and there was a man who was holding the door of the SUV shut to not let him out."

Badka was a rookie officer who was assigned to Manhattan Transit Task Force. He was not working Friday night, but was scheduled to report for duty just four hours after the tragic crash.

"He has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated," said NYPD Inspector Scott Shanley.

Police confirm Badka refused a breathalyzer test at the scene.

Andrew Esquivel, a 21-year old MIT student from California, died in the accident.

Two survivors were taken to Bellevue Hospital, and a third was taken to Cornell.

All three will require surgery for the injuries they sustained.

A 23-year-old woman was listed in critical condition at Bellevue with severe trauma to both legs and her right arm and a fractured pelvis,.

A 20-year-old woman was listed in stable condition at Bellevue with severe trauma to her leg.

A 24-year-old man was being treated at NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center with severe trauma to his right leg.