LOWER MANHATTAN — A man who stole a cab, then crashed it into another car on West Street Sunday, injuring two people, has been charged with assault and grand larceny.
Julio Olavarria, 44, was arraigned from his room in Bellevue Hospital via video feed Wednesday on charges of assault, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing a cab on Sunday morning, then running a red light and crashing the vehicle into another car at the intersection of West and Chambers streets, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Chambers St. & West Side Highway. NYPD arrested man who stole cab and caused this crash. Two injured. pic.twitter.com/SC47MMzB7t
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) June 19, 2016
Police said Olavarria hailed a cab at about 7:40 a.m. on Essex and Grand streets, then asked the cab to take him to an ATM, saying he didn't have money.
The cab pulled over to an ATM at Grand and Allen streets, and Olavarria got out and told the driver that he had a flat tire, police said.
When the cab driver came around to check the tire, Olavarria hopped into the driver's seat and took off, police said.
Olavarria was arrested soon after at about 8:10 a.m., after speeding along West Street, running a red light then crashing into a white SUV "with such force that the white vehicle flipped onto its side," according to his criminal complaint.
The driver and passenger were both injured, one with a "severe" injury, according to Fire Department officials. Both were transported to Bellevue.
One victim was left with a bleeding head, and according to police, blood was splattered in car.
Olavarria's court-appointed Legal Aid lawyer, Tara Collins, said they were "conducting a full investigation." She declined to discuss his injuries or details of the case.
He's being held on $50,000 bail, and currently remains in the hospital. He's due back in court on June 29.
