An NYPD vehicle veered off a street in the Bronx following a collision and struck a group of people, leaving 10 hurt — including two children, according to police.
Police were responding to a reported car theft just after 3 p.m. Thursday in the Longwood section, police said. The officers were driving up Westchester Avenue when another vehicle stopped ahead of them to turn left at the intersection of Hoe Avenue.
The police SUV crossed over onto the other side of the road to go around the car, but the driver of the other vehicle started to turn left and clipped the police cruiser as it went by, according to NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey. After the front ends of the vehicle clipped, the police SUV careened toward the sidewalk — right toward a group of people standing there.
A total of 10 people were hurt as a result, including six pedestrians, two police officers and two people who were in the other car that was struck, police said. Two of the injured were young children: A 5-year-old was struck on the sidewalk, and a 2-year-old was in the vehicle that was hit.
All were taken to nearby hospitals. Fire officials said that four people were critically injured, and another person suffered serious injuries as well. The conditions of the children was not immediately clear; the two NYPD officers had minor injuries, according to officials. All of the injured are expected to survive, Maddrey said at a press conference.
The police vehicle's lights and sirens were on at the time of the crash, according to Maddrey. There was no police chase involved, as police had not yet made it to the scene of the reported stolen vehicle.
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