- The NYPD initiated a traffic stop, leading to a hit-and-run caught on camera.
- The driver of a white BMW fled the stop, crashing into multiple pedestrians.
- Police apprehended the passenger of the 7 Series at the scene of the crash.
Police chases can be exciting to watch but they always pose a serious safety risk. Now, several pedestrians in New York City have a first-hand understanding of that fact. They ended up victims of a BMW driver who fled from a traffic stop in the early hours of Sunday.
According to officers speaking to CBS, it all started just before 2 a.m. in Astoria when the driver of a white BMW 7-Series decided the best way to handle a routine traffic stop was to hit the gas and run away. About two miles into the chase, things went south. While speeding down Northern Blvd, the BMW driver attempted to turn onto 80th Blvd—and instead, understeered directly into a group of pedestrians.
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Luckily for those in the BMW’s path, an NYFD call box provided an unexpected roadblock and brought the car to a sudden halt. Four people were hit by the car but only two suffered any sort of significant injury. One of them, a 23-year-old man, went to the hospital with a laceration to the leg. Another pedestrian, a 28-year-old woman, suffered some form of undisclosed back injury. Both are stable according to CBS.
Warning: While no one was seriously injured, some viewers may still find the footage unsettling.
Directly after the crash, video shows two people exit the BMW before they both run down 80th Blvd. Police arrive within moments and begin to give chase on foot. One of the two people in the car, evidently the passenger, stops and gives themselves up to the police. Interestingly, while CBS reports that the driver is still on the run, ABC7 says police caught them, and them alone, at the scene.
It’s unclear which of the two police actually have in custody at this point. “I hear a noise and when I wake up, I look through my window outside and saw so many people and so many police,” Jackson Heights resident Danny Rojas said. “It all sounds very crazy. I hope they bring everyone to justice.”
For now, the NYPD is seeking tips from anyone who may know more about the incident. So, if you’ve got intel on which of these two geniuses was driving—or if you just want to lecture them on why the 7-Series isn’t a race car—feel free to give them a call at 1-800-577-8477.