Ten people have been reported injured after being mowed down by a vehicle in Midtown, Manhattan.
The incident took place on Tuesday at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 42nd Street around 5:30 p.m. local time. According to local police, officers were attempting to perform a traffic stop with a male driver, but he tried to escape and flee the scene.
Afterward, the Manhattan South division of the NYPD sent out a tweet that advised patrons to steer clear of the situation and warned residents to expect traffic and emergency vehicles in the area.
Although some of the individuals involved in the car crash were hurt and transported to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, authorities later determined that none of their injuries were considered life-threatening.
The NYPD held a press conference shortly after the incident to cover the details of what occurred.
According to a deputy chief with the department, the pursuit began when officers responded to a sighting of a vehicle that was reported stolen from the Bronx on July 31. They were able to confirm the match by using a license plate reader. Police turned on their lights, but due to traffic in the area, they moved in at a slow speed to close in on the suspect.
Initially, the driver began to pull over but seemingly fled. A biker and a yellow cab were struck by the stolen 2018 Hyundai Tucson with Illinois plates during the chase, the deputy chief announced.
It was confirmed that the most severe injured victim was a young woman who sustained an ankle fracture. The NYPD did add that some of the victims were young children as young as 5 to 7 years old.
Despite it being reported that two people were inside the car during the incident, only one person (the male driver) was arrested and taken into custody.
After crashing near a Hyatt Hotel, the suspect then collided with a taxi and was detained by civilians until officers were able to get the situation under control.
The department revealed that the driver is a 20-year-old male and that the incident was not considered a terrorist threat.
