Chicago man witnesses teen carjack Mercedes Benz, dragging car owner
A teenager stole a Mercedes Benz Tuesday night, dragging along a man trying to stop him.
FOX 32's Elizabeth Matthews spoke with a man who witnessed it all.
It happened in the busy Gold Coast neighborhood near Oak and Rush, with many witnesses in the area.
And the owner of the vehicle was injured in the carjacking. He did not want to go on camera because he just got home from the hospital but he did say his watch-wristband got caught in the door handle while he was trying to pull the suspect out of the driver’s seat, and he was dragged for about 15 feet down the street.
Police say a 17-year-old boy, now charged in the case, drove the stolen Mercedes Benz to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, slamming into other parked cars, a pedestrian and a bicyclist.
It started in the Gold Coast when the 30-year-old car owner was putting items in the back of his SUV. The doors were shut, the key fob was in his pocket and that's when the suspect hopped in the car and was able to just press the start key and drive away.
The car owner says he opened the driver's side door and tried pulling the suspect out but failed and got stuck on the outside of the SUV, injuring his arm.
The car owner fears his Mercedes, which he just got this summer, is totaled.
The 28-year-old female pedestrian and 45-year-old bicyclist struck in Grant Park were injured but are expected to be okay.
A witness says he saw the crime unfold and tried to help.
"Crashed into a car right by me and police officer yelled at offender to get out and then I tried to get the door open and it was locked and he threw it in reverse and ended up hitting and demolishing a cab on the way out,” he said. "I saw the kid, I saw him in the car, he wouldn't even look at us, he was looking straight ahead like he was in shock, he had no clue what was going on, he was just out of control."
A 17-year-old suspect took off on foot, but was caught by police. He now faces two felonies including vehicular hijacking.