A 20-year-old man was hit with a slew of charges Wednesday after crashing a stolen car into multiple vehicles and injuring 10 pedestrians during a chaotic police chase in Midtown Manhattan.
Kyle Fernandez is facing charges including reckless endangerment, possession of stolen property, operating a motor vehicle while on drugs, resisting arrest, and others in connection to Tuesday’s mayhem — which ended when good Samaritans tackled the fleeing driver to the ground and held him down until cops arrived.
The madness unfolded during the evening rush hour near the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 42nd Street, just steps away from Grand Central Terminal, after police tried to pull over a maroon Hyundai Tucson that had been reported stolen from the Bronx Monday.
Instead of coming to a stop, the SUV with Illinois license plates sped away, with cops following at low speeds because of heavy traffic, according to law enforcement sources.
The Hyundai, allegedly driven by Fernandez, crashed into a bicyclist and a yellow cab — and then jumped a curb and plowed into a group of pedestrians while trying to make a U-turn at the intersection, police said.
Kyle Fernandez, 20, is detained after a wild car chase resulting in multiple injuries in Midtown Manhattan. Peter Gerber
Fernandez was allegedly driving a stolen maroon Hyundai Tucson (right) that was involved in a multi-vehicle crash near Grand Central Terminal on Tuesday evening. William Lopez
At least 10 pedestrians were hurt when the Hyundai SUV plowed into a crowd of people. Citizen AppThe SUV then headed the wrong way on Lexington and slammed head-on into a black SUV, bringing the chase to a close, cops said.
Fernandez jumped out of the mangled SUV and tried to escape — as seen in a video obtained by The Post — but bystanders grabbed hold of the suspect and detained him until cops arrived to take him into custody.
A baggie containing what was described as a green, leafy substance, as well as suspected drug paraphernalia, were reportedly recovered from the front passenger seat of the Hyundai, sources said.
Police remove Fernandez from the 17th precinct after he was charged.
Fernandez struck a bicyclist and a yellow cab to avoid being pulled over by the police on Lexington Avenue. Peter Gerber
The stolen SUV jumped the curb and slammed into pedestrians, including young children. William C Lopez/New York PostThe wild incident left 10 people injured, including two children, ages 6 and 10.
The most serious injury was an ankle fracture, while most victims walked away with scrapes and neck and back pain.
Fernandez, who does not have a New York license, jumped out of the SUV and tried to escape, but bystanders tackled him. Peter GerberWitness Michael Discioarro described seeing one badly injured victim bleeding on the ground.
“Another victim was laid up against the door of a store,” he told The Post. “She was clearly hurt … Her leg was twisted in a way you shouldn’t twist a leg.”
The 20-year-old reportedly has a rap sheet that includes gun and drug charges.
Police said the driver did not have a New York driver’s license.
Fernandez has a criminal history, including two gun charges and drug-related offenses, sources said.
