Male driving a stolen car attempts a hit and run on Magnolia Avenue
By Crystal Olmedo
A police pursuit of a stolen car, that started on Van Buren Boulevard and Indiana Avenue, ended in a collision on the southwest corner of Magnolia Avenue and Ramona Drive in Riverside Nov. 14 at approximately 4:20 p.m.
The driver of the stolen Honda was a male in his mid-twenties who got onto the 91 East freeway and exited on 14th Street, according to Sgt. Dan Warren of the Riverside City Police Department.
The stolen car was a dark green, four-door ’90s Honda Civic sedan which crashed into a white 4-door Kia Rio. Warren said the Honda was stolen out of the city of Colton.
A student from Central Middle School, Dylan Chavez, said he saw the white Kia Rio driving north on Magnolia, but did not see the actual collision.
“I just heard a loud bang,” said Chavez.
Chavez said he was participating in the Primetime Afterschool Program when the middle school was placed on lockdown for approximately 15 minutes. Students were led into the school gym until it was safe for them to go home.
“We weren’t allowed to leave until the suspect was caught,” Chavez said.
There were three passengers in the Kia. Backseat passenger of the Kia, Leah Cummings and the driver her husband Michael, said they were heading north on Magnolia Avenue when they were struck by the the Honda that police were pursuing.
“We were driving (north) and he was coming (south), cops were behind him,” Michael said. “He squealed on his tires and ended up on the curb (northeast corner of Ramona and Magnolia) and ping ponged of the curb sending him diagonally through the intersection. I banked right (onto Ramona) to avoid a head on collision.”
There were no reported injuries to passengers of either car.
The suspect is being charged with possession of a stolen car, hit and run, felony evading and a domestic violence charge that occurred prior to the pursuit.
