A Brooklyn man who stole a New York City taxicab and led police on a multijurisdictional chase through parts of New Jersey was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Ashton Charles, 31, pleaded guilty May 8 and was sentenced June 29 to five years in state prison on five counts of second-degree causing injury while eluding police or operating a stolen motor vehicle, authorities said.
According to investigators, Charles stole a Toyota Sienna operating as a New York City yellow cab about 9:22 a.m. June 1, 2025, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He then drove through Manhattan and Brooklyn before crossing the Verrazzano Bridge to Staten Island and the Goethals Bridge into Elizabeth.
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At about 11:15 a.m., Springfield police located the stolen taxi and attempted a traffic stop. The cab was stopped at a red light when officers approached, but Charles put the vehicle in reverse, striking one officer with the passenger-side mirror, authorities said.
Charles then accelerated away, entering Route 24 west and allegedly driving at excessive speeds while making dangerous passing maneuvers. He later took the ramp to Interstate 287 south toward Morristown. Officers eventually terminated the pursuit, according to authorities.
During the chase, Charles struck multiple New Jersey State Police vehicles, a Somerville Police Department vehicle and a civilian vehicle, authorities said. The troopers, Somerville officer and civilian suffered what authorities described as relatively minor injuries.
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Alexander Lewis is an award-winning reporter and photojournalist whose work spans many topics.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Brooklyn man sentenced after stolen NYC taxi chase across NJ