NYPD Crash Injures 5 People In Brooklyn, Cops Say

BUSHWICK, NY — An NYPD car trying to catch a runaway driver crashed into another car in Brooklyn Friday, sending five people to the hospital, police said.

Police were driving southbound on Central Avenue Friday about 10:30 p.m. when they collided with a driver traveling westbound on Putnam Avenue "at a high rate of speed," according to the NYPD.

The 18-, 25- and 31-year-old occupants of the car were sent to an area hospital in stable condition, as were the police, according to the NYPD.

The cops were chasing a potentially stolen car that had just fled a stop, according to the NYPD. The cops' car was unmarked, but its sirens and lights were activated, police said.

The New York Daily News initially reported the cop car was marked.

It was not immediately clear which car had the right of way, or what speed the cars were driving at.

The car initially being pursued by police fled the scene, police said.

The department in September seemingly changed its tune on attempting to minimize pursuits, vowing to stop more runaway drivers, according to the New York Daily News.

"People thinking they can take off on us — those days are over," said Chief of Patrol John Chell.

The attitude has concerned advocates, who say police must prioritize minimizing crashes, according to the New York Daily News.