What started as a routine traffic stop in Gravesend on Monday afternoon briefly turned into a demolition derby, police sources say, when a red Kia repeatedly rammed an NYPD cruiser, then took off through the neighborhood.
Officers tried to pull over the Kia, which had New Jersey plates, near 52 Avenue V just after 2 p.m., according to police sources. The driver allegedly hit the police vehicle multiple times before speeding away. Investigators tracked the car roughly two miles to the area of Homecrest Avenue and Williams Court, where it jumped the curb and crashed onto the sidewalk.
Officers arrested the driver and a passenger at the scene; both are men, police sources say. One officer suffered minor injuries while detaining the driver, was treated at the 60th Precinct and is expected to be OK. As of Monday evening, officials had not yet filed charges in the case.
How police say they tracked the Kia
Investigators followed the vehicle for about two miles before the crash, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Citizen app footage circulating online shows the red Kia up on the sidewalk at the second scene, surrounded by responding officers.
Police told the station they had already identified the driver in connection with another incident, though details of that separate inquiry were not immediately released.
A pattern of dangerous stops in the neighborhood
Gravesend has seen other traffic stops turn ugly in recent months. In December, amNewYork reported a separate incident in which a motorist reversed into officers during a stop, injuring two cops.
That earlier case, along with Monday’s collision, highlights how quickly so-called routine traffic enforcement can escalate, putting both officers and bystanders at risk.
What comes next
Police say the two men from the Kia were taken into custody and remain in NYPD custody while the department continues its investigation. Officials had not announced any formal charges as of Monday evening.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, the NYPD had not released further public comment on the case, and the station reports it will update its coverage as more information becomes available.
