Ten people injured as driver of stolen car plows onto New York City sidewalk
Ten people were injured when the driver of a stolen vehicle crashed into pedestrians and oncoming cars while fleeing police in New York City.
The driver, a 20-year-old man, smashed in to vehicles after losing control of the car while fleeing from New York Police Department officers.
The chase began around 5.30pm after patrol officers on East 43rd Street received an automated license plate reader alert notifying them that a stolen vehicle was driving by.
‘Upon attempting to conduct a car stop of the vehicle, the vehicle fled southbound on Lexington Avenue and struck a bicyclist,’ the NYPD said.
The stolen car was a maroon Hyundai Tucson SUV with Illinois license plates. It was reported stolen from theNYPD’s 44th Precinct in the South Bronx on Monday.
After hitting the bike rider, the driver then collided with a taxi cab, before mounting a curb and driving on to the sidewalk near 42nd Street.
The driver then made a U-turn before driving north on Lexington, driving against the flow of traffic on the one-way street.
‘The vehicle came to a rest after striking multiple pedestrians at the location and colliding with a 2021 Toyota RAV4,’ the NYPD said.
The driver tried to run from the crashed car, but he was detained by civilians, who grabbed held him before police officers were able to detain him.
Another unknown passenger, believed to be a woman, fled on foot from the scene. She is being sought by police for questioning.
Photos from the scene showed the front end of the stolen Hyundai smashed in
A total of 10 pedestrians were injured during the terrifying incident. Eight of the victims were transported to area hospitals and are currently in stable condition, while two refused medical treatment.
One woman suffered an ankle sprain, FDNY Deputy Chief Mario Tompkins said at a press conference. The other injuries were all described as ‘minor abrasions and neck and back pain.’
The driver was identified as 20-year-old Kyle Fernandez. Police confirmed he does not have a driver’s license in New York.
Fernandez was struck with a litany of charges, including 12 counts of reckless endangerment, 12 counts of leaving the scene, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property, driving without a license, and operating a vehicle while impaired on drugs.
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