By The newspaper
Dec 29, 2023, 01:33 AM EST
At least nine people were injured, including four NYPD officers, after a man stole a delivery truck and led the NYPD on a wild chase yesterday on Staten Island, crashing into more than a dozen cars.
The suspect then exited the truck, but was captured by police. Four agents and at least five civilians suffered minor injuries, he summarized. ABCNews.
The driver rammed the truck into at least 18 vehicles, including three police cars, during an odyssey of destruction in the rain.
The incident occurred in Staten Island shortly before 6 p.m. on Thursday, but the drama actually began hours earlier in New Jersey, where police say a 48-year-old driver committed “serious property crimes,” including the theft of a WB Mason truck.
NYPD officers on Staten Island were searching for the first vehicle when the suspect stole two other cars, but for some reason got back into the truck. That’s when officers spotted him at Bishop Street and Cranford Avenue in the Stapleton section.
When officers attempted to stop the driver, he put the vehicle in reverse and crashed into a police car, dragging it 30 to 40 feet as he tried to drive away. The NYPD then pursued him for nearly five miles, spanning the jurisdiction of two police stations.
“He was obviously not going to stop and was putting the public in grave danger,” said NYPD Deputy Chief Joseph Gulotta. In the midst of the chase, the agents requested air support and began to close streets and bridges to slow down traffic.
At some point the suspect lost control and crashed into a row of parallel-parked cars on Ven Duzen Avenue, near Beach Street.
In total, authorities believe the suspect stole at least three cars between New Jersey and Staten Island yesterday. His name has not been released and charges against him are pending.
The authorities remember that there is zero tolerance for drivers who drive at excess speed and/or under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this month signed “Angelica’s Law,” intended to keep drivers with prior suspensions off the road by charging repeat offenders who operate vehicles after five or more violations with felony charges. traffic violations that resulted in prior suspensions or revocations.