By Jason Scheer
On Thursday, June 9, at about 11 a.m., police say high school students were grabbing lunch and hanging around Grand Bagel, 1845 Grand Ave., in Baldwin.
The driver of a blue Mustang went inside the store and left an unknown number of friends in his car to listen to music and cool off in the air conditioning.
While the driver was walking inside, Freeport resident Nikolas Balalalos, a 16-year-old passenger with no driver's license, put the car in reverse.
When the driver noticed what was happening, he yelled at Balalalos to stop. Balalalos panicked and put the car into drive.
The vehicle was thrust forward, jumped the curb and crashed through the bagel shop window, pinning another Freeport High School student against a wall inside.
Emergency personnel from the Baldwin Fire Department arrived at the scene within two minutes of getting the call, said Chief Doug Weidmann. "The victim was in serious condition," said Weidmann. "He was in bad shape."
Nassau County Police EMTs determined that the victim had sustained serious enough trauma to be transported by helicopter to the Nassau University Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.
Police say the victim lost a pint of blood at the scene of the accident but was in stable condition after surgery on Friday.
Approximately 25 emergency personnel from Baldwin responded to the scene and assisted in safely airlifting the victim out of the area.
Balalalos has been charged with second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. He was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Friday, June 10. He was released on his own recognizance.
Many employees at neighboring businesses declined to comment on the accident. However, one person who works nearby said she heard a loud screech and a crash when the car went through the window. Teenagers in the area then began yelling at each other, she said.
The bagel store has been closed and boarded up since the incident occurred.
Comments about this story? Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
