New York, NY – Two children and eight adults were mowed down by a suspect who was fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle in Manhattan on Tuesday.

The incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, when New York police tried to stop a maroon 2018 Hyundai Tucson with Illinois license plates, WABC reported.

The SUV was reported stolen from the Bronx in July.

New York Police Department (NYPD) Patrol Borough Manhattan South Deputy Chief James Kehoe said the suspect initially began to pull over, but then stomped on the accelerator, the New York Post reported.

Officers pursued the fleeing suspect “at a lower rate of speed because of the heavy traffic,” Deputy Chief Kehoe said.

The stolen SUV then turned onto Lexington Avenue, where it slammed into another vehicle between 42nd Street and 43rd Street, the New York Post reported.

The driver sped off down the block and crashed into a bicyclist and a taxi before driving up onto the sidewalk and hitting multiple pedestrians, according to WABC.

Police said the suspect flipped a U-turn at the intersection of 42nd Avenue, hitting several more pedestrians in the congested area, before heading the wrong way down Lexington Avenue, the New York Post reported.

Moments later, the suspect crashed into a black car head-on, then bailed out of the stolen SUV and took off running.

His escape was thwarted by a group of bystanders who jumped on him and held him until police arrived, according to the New York Post.

Witness Michael Discioarro said many of the victims the suspect crashed into were found bleeding and suffering from a range of injuries.

“It was crazy. It was horrific,” Discioarro told the New York Post. “[One] victim on the ground was seriously injured. A lot of blood…Another victim was laid up against the door of a store. She was clearly hurt … Her leg was twisted in a way you shouldn’t twist a leg.”

At least 10 victims, including a 10-year-old and a six-year-old, were injured during the mayhem.

Police said the eldest victim is 72, the New York Post reported.

🚨#BREAKING: Over a dozen Pedestrians have been Struck by a Vehicle while fleeing from Police

📌#Manhattan | #NewYork

Multiple authorities and law enforcement agencies are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. They are responding to an incident where a vehicle, fleeing from the… pic.twitter.com/U17SoKXWk8

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 1, 2023

All of the victims are expected to recover.

Discioarro said the suspect tried to fight police when they arrived to take him into custody.

His identity was not immediately released, but investigators said he is a 20-year-old man with multiple arrests on his record, including narcotics offenses and two gun charges, the New York Post reported.

ADVISORY: Due to a Police Investigation please avoid the area of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Expect traffic and emergency vehicles in the area. pic.twitter.com/6umbml8kxh

— NYPD Manhattan South (@NYPDPBMS) August 1, 2023

Police also allegedly found a bag containing suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia from inside the stolen SUV.

Investigators said a female suspect was able to flee the scene and has not been located, the New York Post reported.