A man saw his Lexus being stolen, then jumped on top of the vehicle as the thieves were taking off. Eventually, the car crashed, sending the man flying through the air. NBC New York Marc Santia reports.
Shocking video showed a man get sent flying through the air after climbing onto the roof of his vehicle in futile to stop it from getting stolen in Queens, but the car thieves violently crashed soon after, police said.
The incident started as Tauree Thompson was inside a store in South Richmond Hill. Police said that's when three teenage suspects saw his Lexus idling outside.
"He was by the door. He looked outside and saw his door close. They already in the car," said Izzy Aldahim. "Then he told me open the door. I opened the door for him. He went and followed them. Tried to open the door he jumped on top of the car."
The 28-year-old Thompson ran from the store, but couldn’t open the door to stop the thieves — so instead, he jumped onto the roof of his vehicle. Meanwhile, the thief behind the wheel stepped on the gas and sped down Lefferts Boulevard.
The SUV sped away with Thompson holding on for dear life for a quarter-mile before the driver lost control and hit a fire hydrant. Thompson was thrown into the air, landing on the sidewalk. The three suspects jumped out of the stolen SUV that was now on its side and ran off, leaving the critically injured owner behind.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
As the thieves climbed out of the flipped-over vehicle, residents ran to help Thompson as he lay on the ground.
Thompson remains hospitalized in critical condition. Two of the three suspects have been arrested, and police sources said all are teenagers.
