A 71-year-old man was left injured after a car driven by a 15-year-old struck him while he stood on a Brooklyn curb, as local police and residents grapple with the aftermath of the incident. The crash occurred at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Hegeman Avenues in East New York before 10 a.m. Sunday, scattering debris across the street and sending the victim to the hospital in stable condition, according to ABC7NY. Reports reveal the driver was illegally underage and fled the scene but was later apprehended by the authorities.
In a video captured by neighborhood surveillance, a black Honda Accord can be seen driving the wrong way, then launching into the air and slamming into a pole before catching fire. The violent sequence of events provided no opportunity for the victim to evade the oncoming danger, and local residents are reportedly shaken by the near-fatal crash. "It was two guys standing there. One of them got hit, one of them got lucky. He moved back. Thank god the other one who got hit is alive right now," Ali Ahmed, a worker at a nearby deli, told ABC7NY.
Police have charged the teen with a slew of crimes, including grand larceny, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless endangerment, and obstructing governmental administration. The car, reportedly stolen earlier in the day from the 90th Precinct, was located by its owner through an AirTag device, leading to a police chase that culminated with the teen's arrest.
News 12 obtained a video showing the NYPD response after the crash and the subsequent pursuit of the fleeing suspect. Although the NYPD has tightened policies on pursuits, stipulating that officer discretion "is now limited to only the most serious and violent crimes," it remains unclear if this situation met those strict guidelines. Shawn Melville, a local resident, reflected on the unsettling event, describing it as "really wild," and to a News 12 interview, he added, "It's like, so sick. It’s not safe. It’s not cool. It’s a lot of people walking around in the community.”
