A 33-year-old man was fighting for his life Saturday after a motorist speeding away from an NYPD car stop sparked a massive crash that sent two cars spinning out of control down a Bronx sidewalk, officials said.
The unlicensed 28-year-old driver is facing multiple counts of vehicular assault following the 9:45 p.m. crash at the corner of Bruckner Blvd. and Hunts Point Ave. Friday.
Charles Jenkins was driving a 2004 Honda Civic when he was pulled over on Hunts Point Ave., about two blocks away from the accident scene, for failing to use his headlights, cops said.
As police approached his car, Jenkins slammed on the gas and sped off east on Hunts Point Ave., blowing through a red light.
He was racing away from cops when he slammed into a 2017 Mercedes-Benz, operated by a 20-year-old man, heading south on Bruckner Blvd., according to police.
Both cars began spinning out of control and ended on the sidewalk, where they struck a 31-year-old woman and two men, ages 33 and 40.
The Mercedes-Benz also hit a parked car, cops said. Jenkins’ Honda kept on spinning until it came off the sidewalk and struck a Chevrolet Equinox driven by a 60-year-old man.
When the Honda finally came to a stop, Jenkins crawled out of the wreck and ran off on foot. He was apprehended by responding police officers a short time later.
EMS rushed the three pedestrians as well as the driver and passenger of the Mercedes-Benz to BronxCare Hospital, where the 33-year-old remained in critical condition Saturday.
The other victims were expected to survive, cops said. The driver of the Equinox wasn’t injured.
Besides three counts of vehicular assault, cops charged Jenkins with driving without a license, unlawful fleeing of police, reckless endangerment, failure to use headlights and multiple counts of disobeying a red signal.
His arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court was pending Saturday.
The near fatal crash occurred as the NYPD clamped down on cops chasing vehicles fleeing car stops. According to new department guidelines put in place on Feb. 1, pursuits are only allowed when a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor is committed, the department noted.
The new guidelines were established amid rampant criticism over the last few years that the NYPD routinely engages in unnecessary police pursuits that lead to crashes and injure other motorists and pedestrians.
While Friday night’s crash occurred just two blocks from where the vehicle was stopped, it wasn’t immediately clear if cops were actively pursuing Jenkins when he slammed into the Mercedes-Benz, officials said.
