NEW YORK – Video captured moments for film after a driver tried to evade police in Manhattan, crashing into restaurant sheds, street signs and whatever else got in his way during his rampage which police say injured a New York officer.
Shocking cellphone video shows the driver hurtling through downtown streets, as his path of destruction began just before 5pm at the height of the evening rush hour. Officers attempted to arrest the man in 38th West there Seventh Avenue, although it is not immediately clear why.
They said he then fled. Officers eventually caught up to him and tried to get him out of the car, but the driver then puts the vehicle in reverse, shows a video and an officer can be seen pinned to the ground.
Police said the officer suffered a head injury and was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he is expected to recover.
Another man who was in his car during the chaos said he abandoned his vehicle for safety reasons.
“I already had the feeling that I wasn’t going to stop, so I got out just in case so as not to hurt myself. I left the car in the middle of the street, it hit cars around me,” said Alfredo Mota, whose car was damaged during the event.
The trail of debris stretched across blocks, as the driver toppled traffic lights and also knocked over a fire hydrant during the mayhem that ended in thousands of dollars in damage. He ended up running outside and the Telemundo 47 helicopter showed searching for the suspect in a building.
But for now, the suspect has still not been found.