MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) — The NYPD has made an arrest in connection with the wild car chase that rocked Manhattan last month.
Police arrested Benjamin Abrams, 56, on Saturday after the April 19 incident that struck two police officers and left an outdoor dining structure destroyed.
Before the chase, as shown in footage obtained by Eyewitness News last month, the suspect was seen arguing with another man as he entered a Midtown business before asking an employee to use the bathroom.
The man then left through the back door and that’s when the chaotic scene unfolded.
The driver was initially pulled over by police for improperly changing lanes at West 39th Street and 7th Avenue. Officers also noticed the vehicle, a Cadillac sedan, had temporary Michigan plates.
During the stop, the driver produced fraudulent motor vehicle documents and drove off after police asked him to exit the vehicle for further discussion.
The driver fled the traffic stop and nearly took out a fire hydrant on Park Avenue.
The Cadillac then missed a woman with a walker by inches.
“The car wasn’t speeding down the street. I was crossing from one side to the other. The car, it had the light on. Its wheel hit me down here and the bumper flew off,” said Jan Baldin , the woman in the video. .
The black Cadillac was then located at Madison Avenue and E. 30th Street, where officers again attempted to stop the vehicle.
As the driver fled the scene, he struck two officers before driving and destroying an outdoor dining structure.
Both officers were taken to area hospitals in stable condition.
Gustavo Márquez captured the video of the accident and shared it on Instagram.
The vehicle fled a third time and collided with another vehicle.
The driver eventually abandoned the vehicle, fled and escaped.
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