Executive Summary
- Incident: A carjacking occurred at a Sonic restaurant on Spring Street in Elizabeth, NJ, just after 6:00 p.m. Thursday.
- Injury: The vehicle owner was run over by the suspect after attempting to intervene and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Status: The suspect fled the scene in the stolen vehicle and remains at large; no arrests have been made.
A man was hospitalized after being run over by his own vehicle during a violent carjacking at a Sonic restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on Thursday evening, according to local authorities. The incident prompted a police response and an ongoing search for the suspect involved.
According to a statement provided by City of Elizabeth spokeswoman Ruby Contreras, the incident occurred shortly after 6:00 p.m. at the Sonic location on Spring Street. The victim had parked his vehicle and entered the establishment to pick up a food order. Upon returning to the parking lot, the vehicle owner observed an unidentified male attempting to steal his car.
The city’s statement details that the victim attempted to intervene by opening the driver’s side door. At that point, the suspect allegedly shoved the victim out of the vehicle and ran over him while fleeing the scene. The victim was subsequently transported to University Hospital in Newark for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigative Outlook
As of Friday morning, law enforcement officials confirmed that no arrests have been made, and the suspect remains at large. Investigators are actively working to locate the vehicle and identify the perpetrator, likely utilizing surveillance footage from the commercial area. This incident underscores the physical dangers associated with intervening during vehicle thefts, a crime category that remains a priority for local law enforcement. It is important to note that any potential suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
