On New Year’s Day, the streets of Midtown became a scene of chaos as Mohamed Alaouie, a 44-year-old resident of Fort Lee, NJ, went on an intoxicated rampage in his black Mercedes-Benz.
The mayhem unfolded about an hour after the New Year’s Eve ball drop, leading to charges of attempted murder of a police officer, assault, reckless endangerment, drug possession, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired.
Alaouie’s vehicle contained a disturbing discovery – a “large quantity” of crack cocaine, according to authorities. This revelation adds a new layer to the unfolding tragedy, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
The rampage began when Alaouie, reportedly in a heated dispute with his 34-year-old girlfriend, attracted the attention of bystanders. Concerned witnesses flagged down patrolling officers, initiating an attempt to intervene.
Instead of stopping, Alaouie accelerated, striking several marked police cars, two police officers, and four pedestrians. The injured officers were hospitalized in stable condition with minor injuries, while three women aged 29, 31, and 39 also suffered minor injuries and were taken to Bellevue Hospital.
The violence took an even darker turn when Alaouie rammed into a halal cart, trapping a 39-year-old woman, Carrie Bernans – an actress and stuntwoman known for her roles in “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame,” underneath it. Miraculously, she sustained only minor injuries, including broken bones and chipped teeth.
The chaotic rampage continued as Alaouie navigated through multiple city streets, swerving between the road and the sidewalk. His erratic driving included collisions with a parked unoccupied pick-up truck, a Toyota Camry (which, in turn, collided with a Ford van), and even a taxi, whose driver expressed fear during the “chaotic” episode.
“I was scared. Everybody was scared. [The suspect] could have killed me and other people on the street. He could have killed the police officers. He didn’t care about anyone, so he could have hit us and killed us,” said cab driver Sheikh Milon.
The culmination of the rampage occurred at West 34th Street and 9th Avenue, where multiple police officers surrounded Alaouie’s Mercedes.
Video footage captured the moment of his apprehension. Initially transported to Bellevue in critical but stable condition, Alaouie’s condition later improved to stable.
Alaouie’s girlfriend, also hospitalized with minor injuries, adds another layer of complexity to this tragic incident. The community is left grappling with the aftermath of a rampage that exposed deep-rooted issues, from substance abuse to societal violence.
As the legal process unfolds, questions about improved conflict resolution and heightened workplace security continue to resonate in the collective response to this devastating event.