From:
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/14929.htm
SUV DAVID WHIPS ARMORED-CAR GOLIATH
By TODD VENEZIA and MURRAY WEISS
January 1, 2004 -- America builds its SUVs big and powerful - but this is ridiculous!
In a collision that gives new meaning to the slogan "Ram Tough," a 2001 Dodge Durango SUV plowed into the side of a hulking armored car in Queens yesterday - knocking the massive money carrier on its side.
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CRASH OF THE TITANS: A massive, six-wheeled money transporter lies flipped on its side like a toy truck after a Dodge Durango plowed into it on 94th Street in Queens yesterday.
- Charles Wenzelberg*
After felling the bullet-proof behemoth, the SUV sustained a crumpled front end, but the window glass wasn't even broken and the wheels still appeared to be in place. "They collided and it looked like the armored car lost," said an NYPD detective who investigated the crash.
The SUV passengers, 75-year-old Costis Caviris of Mattituck, L.I., and his wife, Mary, were not seriously injured in the wreck - and had no trouble walking away from the crash zone.
Meanwhile, the three armed guards in the car, which was operated by American Armored of Westchester, had to be extricated by firefighters with special equipment.
Police said this collision of monsters happened at 10:30 a.m. in Corona.
The 26,000-pound armored car was heading north on 94th Street when it was hit in the side by the Dodge, which was heading east on 31st Avenue.
The SUV hit the armored car at just the right angle to make the six-wheeled, diesel-powered ordnance-stopper flop over onto its passenger side.
Both SUV operator Caviris and armored car driver Mark Cassella told police they had the right of way and that the other ran a red light. Police said they did not issue tickets and had not determined fault.
The two passengers in the Durango and the three members of the armored-car crew were taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where they were treated for what police described yesterday as minor injuries.
After the crash, police had to right the hefty armored car with heavy chains. "We righted it like we right all the vehicles," said an officer involved in the operation. "We hooked the chain to it and we hooked it up to one of our trucks and we turned it over."
Caviris could not be reached and American Armored declined comment.
2004-02-18, 02:37 PM
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