Community gathers to mourn victims after suspected drunk driver speeds into crowd on Lower East Side
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Days have passed since police say a drunk driver sped into a crowd at a Fourth of July gathering and killed three people.
That grief is still fresh as hundreds gathered to mourn and send well wishes to those still recovering.
At Sunday's vigil, not a word was said about the drunk driver blamed in this tragedy. It was all about the victims and how much the community is hurting.
There was a massive turnout with only about an hour's notice, bringing neighbors and families together to pray for each other as they deal with loss and grief - and for the recovery of those still in the hospital.
It was on Jackson and Water Streets on the Fourth of July that a pickup truck barreled through a crowd of people celebrating, killing three and injuring 11 more.
On Sunday, a clergy member and local district leader led the crowd in prayer.
Those who were closest to the victims, Herman and Lucille Pinckney and Ana Morel, remembered some of the things they loved most about them. Herman's significant other, Jessica and his father were both in attendance and on Thursday recalled how devastating the crash was.
"In the blink of an eye, everything changed. Not just for me, for everyone in this community," Jessica said.
"I didn't know my son was under the truck. I'm trying to contain the driver. Yet still my son and his mother are underneath the truck. I didn't know. I didn't know that two hours later he was gone. It happened in front of my eyes. Ever so quick," said Herman's father.
His father said that everyone loved his son.
"I miss him. I love my son. Everybody knew him here. Great support - everybody loved him," his father added.
Everybody at the vigil was comforting each other - not just for the losses of loved ones, but for the trauma of what they experienced as witnesses.
At one point, the clergy member asked for a show of hands asking how many people saw this because they were outside or saw it from their window. Many hands went up, and people fought back tears.
It was something that hurt a lot of members of a community - and they are going to get through this together.
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