August 2nd 2023.
A chaotic and terrifying scene unfolded in Midtown Manhattan yesterday, when a driver fleeing police struck at least 10 pedestrians.
The incident began shortly after 5:30 p.m. when patrol officers on East 43rd Street received an automated license plate reader alert notifying them of a stolen vehicle nearby. Upon attempting to conduct a car stop, the vehicle fled southbound on Lexington Avenue and struck a bicyclist.
The stolen vehicle was a maroon Hyundai Tucson SUV with Illinois license plates which had been reported stolen from the NYPD’s 44th Precinct in the South Bronx on Monday. After hitting the bike rider, the driver then collided with a taxi cab, before mounting a curb and driving on to the sidewalk near 42nd Street. He then made a U-turn and drove north on Lexington, against the flow of traffic on the one-way street.
The vehicle came to a rest after striking multiple pedestrians at the location and colliding with a 2021 Toyota RAV4. The driver, a 20-year-old man named Kyle Fernandez, then tried to run from the crashed car, but was detained by civilians and later arrested by police. An unknown passenger, believed to be a woman, fled the scene on foot and is still being sought for questioning.
A total of 10 pedestrians were injured in the incident. Eight of them were transported to area hospitals and are currently in stable condition, while two refused medical treatment. One woman suffered an ankle sprain, while the other injuries were all described as ‘minor abrasions and neck and back pain’.
Fernandez has been charged with 12 counts of reckless endangerment, 12 counts of leaving the scene, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property, driving without a license, and operating a vehicle while impaired on drugs.
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