New York City Cops Crash into Crowd While Trying to Stop Car Theft, Injure 10 Including 2-Year-Old

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Ten people are recovering from injuries after being struck by a police car that was in the middle of pursuing a thief.

In a press briefing Thursday afternoon, NYPD chief Jeffrey Maddrey said that around 3:10 p.m. local time, officers responded to a call about a vehicle being stolen on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx. When police arrived, a collision stopped the officers from going after the suspect, "and the vehicle actually did get stolen."

Maddrey added, "We were never able to get there."

He explained that when police arrived in a marked patrol car, they were going northbound on Westchester Avenue and went to the intersection at Hoe Avenue.

"There was a vehicle right in front of them. The officers crossed over the double yellow lines to go around the vehicle, but the vehicle made a left-hand turn, at which point the department vehicle and the civilian vehicle, their front ends clipped each other," Maddrey said.

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That's when the police car swerved to the left and veered onto the sidewalk of Hoe Avenue, "where approximately six pedestrians were standing in front of the location. The pedestrians were struck by the department vehicle."

Officers quickly rushed to the scene and, along with other bystanders, helped those who were hurt.

The policemen in the patrol car were injured, and individuals in the other vehicle involved were also hurt. Footage of the incident was shared by New York Actions on Twitter and shows a police SUV swerving onto a corner and hitting multiple pedestrians.

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At the time of the briefing, 10 people, including two officers, were confirmed injured. The oldest is 65, and one of the youngest is a 5-year-old child who was on the sidewalk. A 2-year-old who was inside the civilian's vehicle was injured as well. Maddrey later said that all of the injured were treated at a nearby hospital. Two people were in critical condition, and everyone is expected to survive.

Maddrey said the investigation will continue as authorities speak to witnesses and review surveillance video to determine what exactly happened.

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He reiterated that a police chase had not actually ensued when officers were trying to stop someone from stealing a vehicle. "Unfortunately the accident allowed the person to steal the vehicle, so we didn't even catch the person we were trying to get because once that accident occurred then the officers had to get in lifesaving mode and make sure all of our civilians were okay," Maddrey said.

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"Of course, we don't want to see anybody injured, especially when the officers were trying to do the right thing. They were trying to prevent a crime in progress, they were trying to apprehend someone who was ready to victimize a good person in the Bronx," he continued. "Unfortunately, this collision occurred, and people were injured, including the officers, but we know they're getting the best medical care right now. We just pray for everybody, the officers and the families."

Before ending the press conference, Maddrey said the police car had both its lights and sirens on when the collision occurred.