On Tuesday at rush hour in Midtown Manhattan, a 20-year-old man driving a stolen SUV struck at least ten people, including two toddlers. The guy abandoned his stolen vehicle and fled on foot, but New Yorkers couldn’t let him go far.
The NYPD claims that on July 31, a 2018 Hyundai Tucson with Illinois license plates, was reported stolen from the Bronx. The suspect, described as “white or Hispanic,” did not have a valid New York State driver’s license.
At 5:30 p.m., a car was detected on 45th Street and 2nd Avenue, thanks to a license plate scanner.
To confirm the vehicle’s stolen status, police started following it. After verifying the vehicle was stolen, police tried to stop the car at the busy intersection of 43rd Street and 3rd Avenue.
The motorist reportedly made a gesture of compliance but then abruptly changed direction, accelerated, and tried to elude the police, hitting a bike.
Deputy Chief James Kehoe of the South Patrol Division of the New York City Police Department informed reporters that police continued their chase “at a lower rate of speed because of the heavy traffic.”
The suspect struck a yellow cab and then drove onto the pavement, plowing over several people who were walking near Grand Central Station.
One “victim on the ground was seriously injured,” a witness said.
A second victim was found slumped against the shop front. “Her leg was twisted in a manner you shouldn’t twist a leg,” the witness said.
One eyewitness reportedly witnessed a person go “flying through the air” after being hit.
The culprit did a U-turn in the middle of traffic on 42nd Avenue, striking people before speeding the wrong way down Lexington Avenue.
The vehicle pursuit ended when the suspect collided head-on with a black 2011 Toyota RAV4.
The man got out and ran. Before the cops could arrive, however, others stepped in and pinned him to the ground.
Two children, ages 6 and 10, were among the ten evacuated to Bellevue Hospital; both children survived their injuries. There is also a 72-year-old victim.
According to reports, the police are familiar with the suspect since he has been arrested several times for various offenses.
