Accused carjacker flees with owner ‘yelling’ on hood of car, California police say

An accused carjacker crashed into a Coronado toll plaza with the owner clinging to the hood of his stolen car, California police say.

911 callers reported a man “yelling” on the hood of a moving sedan at 5:20 a.m. on Sunday, June 11, in the island community off San Diego, Coronado police said in a news release.

Shortly afterward, police were notified the car had crashed into a toll plaza, sending the man flying, police said. The driver and passenger ran away.

Officers found the 33-year-old man, identified as the car’s owner, on the pavement beside the wreck with life-threatening injuries, police said. He was taken to a hospital.

The 18-year-old accused driver and a teenage girl were found and arrested a short distance away, police said.

The accused driver faces charges including being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, vehicle theft, hit and run and attempted murder, police said. More charges are pending.

Coronado is a city of nearly 19,000 people about 5 miles southwest of San Diego.

This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Accused carjacker flees with owner ‘yelling’ on hood of car, California police say."