NYPD launches internal probe of response to Flatbush crash

An internal investigation has been launched into the police response that followed a crash in which a van slammed into a Flatbush business, according to News 12. The owner of the business says the driver of the van appeared drunk, with alcohol visible near the driver's seat, but that the driver was not breathalyzed or given a sobriety test by responding officers, and that an officer told her they could not search the car. She says she is glad the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is now investigating. The driver was given two civil summonses, not criminal charges, for crashing into the business. The owner says she has had to pay out of pocket for an engineer to assess the damage and hopes to reopen later, and that she was forced to turn away hundreds of patients this week.

The aftermath of a crash at a Brooklyn business has widened into a review of how police handled the scene. According to News 12, an internal investigation has been launched into the police response that followed a crash in which a van slammed into a business in Flatbush, an incident that has left the owner with a damaged storefront and a series of unanswered questions.

The business owner has raised pointed concerns about the driver's condition. According to the account, she said the driver of the van appeared drunk, with alcohol visible near the driver's seat, but that the driver was not breathalyzed and was not given a sobriety test by the officers who responded to the crash, an omission that she found difficult to understand.

One exchange with an officer stood out to her in particular. According to News 12, the owner said an officer told her that they could not search the car, a response she said made no sense to her after such a significant crash. She recounted her reaction as one of disbelief that the vehicle would not be searched following the collision.

For the owner, the opening of an internal review has offered a measure of reassurance. According to the account, she said she is glad that the NYPD is now investigating what happened, adding that it is encouraging that the department's Internal Affairs Bureau has at least recognized that something about the response was wrong.

The legal outcome for the driver so far has also drawn scrutiny. According to News 12, the driver was given two civil summonses, rather than criminal charges, for crashing into the business, an outcome that has fed the owner's sense that key questions about the incident still have not been answered.

Beyond the investigation, the crash has taken a real toll on the business itself. According to the account, the owner said she has had to pay out of her own pocket to hire an engineer to assess the damage, in the hope of reopening at a later date. In the meantime, she said, she has been forced to turn away hundreds of patients this week while the situation is sorted out.

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