A suspect fleeing arrest in a high speed car chase struck two vehicles near Columbia yesterday, leaving one car overturned as dozens of stunned witnesses looked on.
The suspect, Diogene Custodio, fled a routine traffic stop on Amsterdam yesterday afternoon, according to a police spokesman. Custodio's black BMW M3 struck another car at 114th Street and Amsterdam Ave., before turning onto Broadway and running into another car as it pulled out of a parking space at 115th Street in front of the Journalism school, the spokesman said. The second car flipped over from the force of the accident, landing upside down on the hood of Custodio's car.
Custodio, described by police as a 25-year-old Hispanic man from Harlem, escaped from his severely damaged car on foot, and, according to witnesses, attempted to hijack a nearby taxi. When that effort failed, he ran down the street toward Riverside Drive and was apprehended by several New York police officers on 116th Street. Custodio was then arrested and was in custody as of last night.
No one was seriously injured in either accident. The driver of the overturned car refused medical treatment at the scene; Custodio was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for treatment.
The chase began at 3:25 p.m. on Amsterdam, when police pulled over Custodio's car. The reason for the pull-over was unclear as of last night. Custodio initially stopped, but then fled the scene at high speed. Witnesses at the scene of the final crash believed the BMW was stolen, but police could not confirm that report last night. According to witnesses, Custodio's BMW slammed into a silver Acura as it pulled out onto Broadway. The Acura flipped over as Custodio continued driving, and landed on the hood of the BMW. Both cars, especially the Acura, sustained heavy damage.
Phil Sandick/CDS
Custodio was heard yelling obscenities at police as he fled the scene.
Police detectives were seen searching the trunk and interior of the BMW after the crash. Police also searched the taxi cab.
The accident closed the northbound side of Broadway over several blocks for close to an hour while police cleared the scene. A large crowd watched from the sidewalk as police used a truck to pull the cars apart and push them to the side of the street.
