A man stole a city Parks Department truck and crashed it into an occupied NYPD cruiser in Manhattan Friday night, injuring two cops, authorities said.
The wild chain of events started when a city parks worker was locking up Fred Samuel Playground on Lenox Avenue and West 139th Street in Harlem around 9 p.m., police said.
The worker got in his city-issued Ford F-250 pickup truck before getting out to pick up something he had dropped. A suspect then hopped in the black vehicle emblazoned with the department’s distinctive green logo and hightailed it north up Lenox, according to police.
The deranged driver then crossed the yellow line five blocks north at West 144th Street and rammed the stolen truck into the police SUV. The two officers inside suffered minor injuries.
The suspect has not yet been identified by the NYPD. Robert Mecea
It is not yet confirmed, but it is believed that the truck thief may have been intoxicated. Robert MeceaOther cops nearby were able to track down the suspect when he tried to flee on foot, officials said.
Charges were pending against the unidentified suspect, who was possibly drunk, according to sources.
