Deryl Brown said he was sweeping the sidewalk outside of his friend’s deli in Washington Heights. That’s when he first heard a screeching sound, quickly getting closer. 

Surveillance video shows an SUV as it barrels down the street and runs over a man who was walking along the curb, pinning the pedestrian underneath.

“He hit the curb backwards, but he tripped and that’s [when] the car barrels over him,” Brown said.

Police say it happened at around 6:45 A.M. on Saturday morning on West 157th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The pedestrian, a 62-year-old man, was about to cross the street when he was pummeled by the blue vehicle.

The deli’s owner ran over to help the victim, grabbing his feet to drag him out. Instead of stopping, the driver of the BMW hit reverse.

Witnesses say the driver almost ran into the victim a second time, but that fire hydrant was in the way, and saved him.

“By like an inch, he missed the man’s head going backwards,” a bystander said.

Signs of the crash were still present, as neighbors reacted to what happened.

“This person has no conscience, no conscience.,” said Marcelina Maldonado, who lives in the neighborhood. “He should’ve stopped and stayed there.”

Maldonado said speeding is a constant problem in the area.

“They make believe when they turn here. They think this is a racing area. And it’s not a racing area. There’s people that live here and children,” she said.

The victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries.

Police are still looking for the driver.