A man driving an allegedly stolen SUV on the Belt Parkway in East New York struck two vehicles early Sunday morning, sending eight people to area hospitals, police said.
The driver of a 2017 white Mercedes-Benz registered in New Jersey had his headlights off when he entered the eastbound side of the Belt Parkway from Erskine Street, Exit 15, around 1:30 a.m., authorities said. He struck the rear of a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander while attempting to pass the car, whose driver — a 26-year-old man — lost control and hit a concrete wall, according to the NYPD.
The Mercedes driver then plowed into a 2011 Honda Civic, police said. The 59-year-old woman behind the wheel in that vehicle also lost control and hit a guard rail, the NYPD said.
After two collisions, the driver in the Mercedes SUV flipped his car on its side while trying to over-correct his course, according to the police.
He fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction, police said. The NYPD is investigating, but his identity is currently unknown.
Paramedics transported the driver of the Mitzubishi and his three passengers, all with minor injuries, to Brookdale University Hospital in Brownsville, police said. They took the driver of the Honda and her three passengers, ages 4, 7 and 8, to Jamaica Hospital. The woman was in serious but stable condition at the time, authorities said. The children suffered minor injuries.
