Police Chase Through Rush Hour Traffic in New York Injures 11 People, Hits 7 Cars
A police chase in New York City during rush hour traffic on Wednesday resulted in injuries to at least 11 people after one car rammed into seven others, police said.
The chase began in the Bronx when police attempted to pull over a vehicle on East Fordham Road and Marion Avenue with excessively tinted windows. Police said the driver was smoking marijuana in the car as well. As the car attempted to get away, it reportedly ended up hitting seven other cars before making its escape.
In a video posted by tattoo artist David Perez, a green Mercedes can be seen in the middle of traffic attempting to evade the police, who exited from an unmarked vehicle.
Cars packed in all sides hindered the green car's exit, as it continuously backed up, smashing into several other vehicles, before accelerating forward and T-boning another car.
Police officers in the congested street can be seen with their guns drawn, attempting to open the car door and demanding that he "get out of the car."
People on the sidewalk stopped to watch the incident, filming the interaction.
The video then shows the car driving up on the sidewalk and heading down the road, allegedly getting away.
Police said the car was found abandoned a few blocks away, and the investigation is ongoing as no arrests have been made.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed to Newsweek that the 11 injured people were passengers and drivers of the other vehicles, and all suffered only minor injuries.
The suspect is described as "a male, dark complexion and long black braids. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and a black baseball hat," the NYPD said.
Anyone with any information as to the suspect's whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
New York City is expecting a record year for crime as officials struggle with gun arrests in 2021, as the city's Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the New York has seen "more gun arrests this year than we've seen at any time, proportionally, since 25 years ago."
In June 2021, the overall index crime in the city rose 3.1 percent compared with June 2020, according to the NYPD.
"Keeping all New Yorkers safe is what drives us, and your police officers are working with community members around the clock to do just that," said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. "Through targeted deployment and collaborative efforts with those we serve, the department continues in its mission to stamp out criminal activity and hold those who commit acts of violence to account."
