A stolen car crashed into a 7-Eleven in Bensalem Township Thursday afternoon after the driver rammed a police cruiser and another vehicle while trying to flee officers. Three people ran from the wreckage on foot, but police eventually tracked down all five people who had been inside the car. No injuries were reported.
The crash happened at the 7-Eleven at Street Road and Brookwood Drive, according to dailyvoice.com. Bensalem officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which had previously been reported stolen out of Philadelphia, when the driver struck a Bensalem police vehicle and an unrelated vehicle before speeding away, the outlet reported. 6abc Philadelphia reported that Chopper 6 was over the scene around 3 p.m. as the chaos unfolded in the 1600 block of Street Road.
During the attempted escape, the driver lost control and crashed into the convenience store, destroying part of the storefront and leaving significant damage to its front, per 6abc's reporting. Three people inside the stolen vehicle fled the scene on foot following the crash, prompting a search involving patrol officers, detectives, and multiple drones, the same account notes.
Search Ends With All Five Occupants Found
Officers ultimately located five people who had been inside the stolen vehicle at some point, according to the report. 6abc's reporting indicates all five were taken into custody following the crash, though as of Wednesday, police had not released the identities of those involved or said whether any charges had been filed, per the dailyvoice.com account. The investigation remained active, and police asked the public to avoid the area while it continued.
Part of a Troubling Pattern in Bensalem
This is not the first time a stolen vehicle fleeing Philadelphia has ended up on Bensalem streets. In December 2024, three of four suspects were apprehended after a stolen car entered the township following a gunpoint carjacking in Philadelphia, according to Patch. In that case, the stolen vehicle was a white 2020 Toyota Corolla; after police picked it up, the car fled and later stopped at the rear of an apartment complex, where all four suspects, dressed in black, ran on foot, with police later capturing three of them. One 16-year-old suspect from that incident was charged with firearms offenses, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding police, evading arrest on foot, and driving without a license, Patch reported.
Bensalem Township Police have separately flagged a growing trend involving the theft of high-performance vehicles, particularly Dodge Chargers and Challengers, and separately mentioned Honda CR-Vs, Accords and Civics, according to a community alert posted on crimewatch.net. The department warned that thieves may use relay devices that capture and amplify a key fob's signal, allowing vehicles to be unlocked and started without the key ever leaving an owner's pocket.
