The driver who led police on a violent car chase through Midtown in April was indicted on a slew of charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Thursday.
New York City native Benjamin Abrams, 56, is accused of fleeing a traffic stop and recklessly driving his car through Midtown, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Prosecutors also said authorities had found more than 37 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
“This driver allegedly engaged in an incredibly reckless and dangerous car chase that injured two NYPD officers,” Bragg said in a statement. “Many other lives were put at risk as he wove through streets and sidewalks and even drove right through an outdoor dining structure. I wish the officers injured a full and speedy recovery.”
According to authorities, Abrams was pulled over for weaving through traffic with a temporary license tag. During the stop, he allegedly provided officers with a fraudulent North Carolina driver’s license, refused to step out of his car and fled. That’s when the car chase began.
Abrams led officers on a pursuit through Midtown, driving into oncoming traffic and onto sidewalks, Bragg said. To get around traffic on East 30th Street between Park and Madison avenues, he allegedly rammed his car between vehicles in front of and behind him.
At one point, he put his car in reverse and drove it into two police officers, causing them to fly backwards, Bragg alleged. Both officers were treated at a hospital for their injuries, with one of them suffering a concussion that required stitches to his head, officials said. Abrams then allegedly plowed through an outdoor dining area, destroying the structure.
The chaos was caught on video from multiple angles.
Eventually, Abrams allegedly got out of his car and broke into a homeless shelter, where, according to Bragg, he disguised himself as a worker and hid for several hours. He was arrested on May 6.
His seven-count indictment includes charges of assault, possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment. Attorney information for Abrams was not immediately available.
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