Fleeing Driver Smashes Midtown Sidewalk Shed, Injures Officer: NYPD

MIDTOWN, NY — A reckless driver in a black Cadillac equipped with temporary paper tags wrecked havoc across town while fleeing a traffic stop, plowing through a sidewalk shed and sending an officer to the hospital, according to officials.

Dramatic video obtained by the Daily News shows the dangerous driver at a stop on East 30th Street and Madison, then suddenly accelerating clear through a sidewalk shed of a local BBQ joint, driving along the sidewalk between the shed and the buildings until smashing into a street sign on the other side of the street — all steps from a large, private K-12 special education school.

Officials confirmed that the car was equipped with temporary paper license plates from Michigan and that the department has yet to confirm if they are legal tags or not.

A recent StreetsblogNYC investigation found widespread fraud involving similar temporary paper license plates, which allow drivers to drive with reckless abandon without fear of the law.

Police said the chase originated when the driver fled a traffic stop at Seventh Avenue and West 38th Street at around 4:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

Other officers recognized the black Cadillac on East 30th Street and when they approached the driver, that's when the driver decided to take the road less traveled, officials said, and dangerously mounted the sidewalk at a high speed.

An officer injured during the chaos and was treated for a concussion at Bellevue Hospital, police said.

The Cadillac driver continued east, until it collided with several more vehicles at Lexington Avenue and East 31st Street and the driver fled on foot.

According to pictures from the Daily News, the car appears to be a mid-range luxury Cadillac CTS, which can cost up to $52,000.