2 killed in New York City's Chinatown after out-of-control stolen car slams into pavement
One of the victims' legs was severed during the blistering 7.30am crash at the corner of Bowery and Canal Street at the mouth of the Manhattan Bridge, police said.
One victim, a 63-year-old woman, was sitting on a metal bench before the car careered into her, witnesses said. The metal bench was ripped from the ground as the Chevrolet Malibu slammed into it.
The driver and passenger of the blue Malibu – two women in their early 20s – were taken into custody after they tried to leave the area on foot after the crash, police said.
A witness pointed them out to arriving police officers as they made their escape. Officers caught them about a block away from the scene, officials said.
The two women were taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries as they were being questioned.
Witnesses told police that the Malibu had exited the Manhattan Bridge at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and careered onto a triangle-shaped pedestrian island at the corner, where it struck a 63-year-old woman sitting on the bench and a man in his 30s riding a bicycle.
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