A woman walking her dog in Eckington, Northeast D.C., got nearly struck by a speeding stolen vehicle driving on the sidewalk during a police chase. Although the pair were unharmed, the harrowing encounter highlights the importance of staying vigilant while walking your dog.
Woman and dog escape being hit by driver of stolen SUV during DC police pursuit
A doorbell camera captured the incident, which occurred on Saturday, Feb. 10. According to Fox 5 News, police had received reports of a Hyundai Tucson stolen by a group of teens at around 10 a.m. that day.
Then, shortly before 4 p.m., police officers patrolling the neighborhood spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the stolen car. In response, the officers tried to pull over the stolen SUV, only for the driver to speed away. It was then that a high-speed chase of the vehicle ensued.
Unfortunately, at the time, Evelina Voronina — an Eckington resident — was walking her dog on a sidewalk in the neighborhood. She saw the car speeding on the sidewalk toward her and her dog. Wasting no time, she hurriedly picked up her 3-year-old pup, avoiding being struck by the reckless driver.
In the video that has since gone viral, Voronina and her dog can be seen climbing the stairs of a nearby porch to escape the speeding vehicle.
Watch the video here:
The incident left Voronina shaken, given how close they were to getting knocked down. While speaking to the news outlet, she stated: “Being angry or mad is not going to really do anything for the person. I’m sure they feel sh***y about what happened too.”
NBC Washington reports that police arrested three teens, one girl and two boys, in connection with the stolen vehicle. Police reports show that the two boys have pending warrants of arrest for other crimes.
Commenting on the incident, D.C. Council member Zach Parker described it as “horrifying and unacceptable.”
