The sharp scent of burning rubber and twisted metal lingered in the air, a cruel reminder of the violence that had just unfolded. Shards of glass glittered like scattered diamonds across the pavement, catching the morning sun in glints that belied the horror of the scene. Smoke rose in thin tendrils from the mangled hood of the black limousine, its front crumpled against the steel barrier like a paper sculpture collapsed under pressure.
Screams echoed in the distance—startled bystanders, horrified witnesses. A woman clutched her child at the sidewalk's edge, shielding their eyes. Cars had screeched to halts; honking, shouting, chaos layered over chaos.
