What to Know A man loading pricey bikes into a van in Manhattan hopped in the van and chased after a thief who hopped on one of the bikes, police say

While chasing after the thief, the van's driver plowed into him and a bystander who was waiting at a crosswalk, according to police

Video shows the van crashing into the two men; authorities say the bike thief got away and the bystander was taken to an area hospital

(Warning: The above video freezes at the moment of impact, but some may find it disturbing.)

A man whose bicycle was stolen in Manhattan went after the thief in a van, traveling the wrong way down a Hell's Kitchen street before plowing into him and a bystander in a violent crash captured on surveillance video, police say.

The driver, who was arrested after the crash, told police he was loading high-end bicycles into his van when a man came up and stole one of the bikes, riding away with it down West 50th Street.

The driver said he hopped into his van and chased the alleged thief, traveling the wrong way down West 50th Street and crashing into him and a pedestrian who was waiting at a crosswalk at Ninth Avenue, according to police.

Surveillance video shows a van driving the wrong way down West 50th Street and crashing into an alleged bike thief and a bystander at Ninth Avenue Saturday evening. Police say the driver of the van said he was loading bikes into the van when the man stole one of them. (Warning: The video freezes at the moment of impact, but...

Witnesses described hearing a loud "smack" as the van hit the two men.

Surveillance video provided by BoxersNYC, a nearby bar, shows the van plowing into the pedaling bicyclist and the pedestrian around 5 p.m.

The pedestrian, said to be a 31-year-old man, is seen flying into the air and landing on his back as shocked bystanders move in to help. The cyclist is seen crashing off the bike and landing onto the pavement.

The video then shows the driver of the van getting out and grabbing the man who allegedly stole his bike.

Witnesses say the driver of the van and bystanders tried to hold the alleged thief down, but he eventually managed to limp away. Police were searching for him Saturday night.

"He hit him, but the guy got up and ran away on foot, but he was badly hurt," witness Nelson Almonte said.

The pedestrian who was hit was taken to Cornell Hospital with traumatic injuries but is expected to survive, according to the FDNY. Almonte said the man was bleeding heavily from his head and was "in bad shape."

The driver of the van faces reckless driving charges, police said.



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