MANHATTAN, NY – A homeless man who allegedly stole a car in Midtown Manhattan went on a chaotic five-mile ride that ended in a crash in Lower Manhattan, according to the New York City Police Department. The dramatic incident unfolded around 7:10 p.m. on Friday on Maiden Lane near Nassau Street in the Financial District.
The car thief is expected to face criminal charges. Currently, he is hospitalized following the car wreck where the stolen white Kia Forte smashed into a light pole and burst into flames.
Onlookers from a nearby karaoke club rushed to the scene of the collision. They heroically pulled the injured driver out of the smoking vehicle just before it was engulfed in flames. Mable Rodriguez, one of the rescuers, recognized the man as a local homeless person who usually slept outside a nearby Duane Reade store.
Earlier in the evening, around 6:30 p.m., the car thief had allegedly commandeered the Kia Forte from its owner near the Chrysler Building at Lexington Avenue and E. 43rd Street. The owner had left the car, which sported TLC plates, idling and unoccupied.
Following the car theft, the perpetrator drove downtown, where he struck a Yellow 2022 Rav 4 on Broadway near Maiden Lane. He got into an argument with the affected car’s 56-year-old driver before he sped off, only to crash into the light pole a few moments later.
The suspect was taken by paramedics to Bellevue Hospital. Despite the severity of the incident, his injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.