By Kelsey Durham and Christina Santucci
Police were searching for a driver they say collided with an NYPD car in Bayside Wednesday morning before fleeing the scene, the NYPD said.
Authorities said a white box truck struck an unmarked police car near Cross Island Parkway and Bell Boulevard, and the driver left the scene in the vehicle possibly with another person after the collision. Two NYPD officers were inside the unmarked vehicle but were not injured, police said.
After a pursuit, the box truck was later found by police near 214th Place and 32nd Road in Bayside, and witnesses described police conducting a search of the area using helicopters and search dogs as they looked for the driver.
Witnesses who live in the neighborhood described hearing helicopters fly overhead for more than an hour Wednesday morning as the search continued.
“I was in the yard with one of my dogs and I saw the helicopter circling like 20 times, very low,” said a woman named Linda, who was visiting her friend on 214th Place. ”I know they are looking for somebody.”
About a half dozen police vehicles were stationed on the quiet dead-end street as officers carried out the investigation.
Linda said she was surprised by the amount of police presence.
“This is the first time I’ve seen all of these police cars,” she said. “I hope they find those people.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, no arrests had been made and police were still searching for a suspect, the NYPD said.
