14 hurt as car crashes Hanukkah party

WOODMERE, N.Y. - A car plowed into a building where Orthodox Jewish families were celebrating Hanukkah yesterday, injuring 14 people, police said.

At least six of the injured were young children, hospital officials said.

The families from the Chabad Orthodox Jewish movement were celebrating Hanukkah Wonderland, an all-day celebration with events geared for children, including a funhouse and a Hanukkah theater. Yesterday was the fifth day of the eight-day Jewish festival of lights.

About 150 people were inside the building in Woodmere when a 76-year-old man lost control of his car and plowed through a plate glass window at 2:45 p.m., Nassau County police said.

"He makes an abrupt left turn. It actually forces the car that's parked along the side of the road up on to the sidewalk," Nassau County police Lt. Kevin Smith said at the scene. "His car careens through several plate glass windows, enters the building and comes to rest after basically running over . . . several people."

The injured included two girls, ages 8 and 4, who were in stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center, physician Justin Greene said. One suffered a broken collarbone, he said.

Three children under the age of 5 were hospitalized at Winthrop University Hospital, two in serious condition and one in fair condition, said vice president John Broder.

Another child and an adult were treated at Long Beach Medical Center, but their injuries weren't serious, nursing supervisor Paula Shapiro said.

A person who answered the phone yesterday at the Chabad offices on Long Island said no one was there to comment.

Woodmere is about 25 miles southeast of Manhattan.