A woman is dead after getting caught in the middle of a car chase between police and a crime suspect.
It happened just before 1 p.m. on Linden Boulevard near 225th Street in Cambria Heights.
Investigators say 51-year-old Derek Perkins ran a red light and collided with a 78-year-old woman driving a Saturn. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police were chasing Perkins because he and his car matched the description of a nearby larceny.
When officers tried to pull him over earlier, they say Perkins tried to ram his car into the police cruiser before driving off and later crashing into the Saturn.
Witnesses described the scene.
"Ran the red light, smacked the green car," said one witness. "It was an innocent woman. It was horrible."
"Sound like a big explosion, boom," said another.
After the crash, authorities say Perkins ran off on foot before he was apprehended and taken into custody.
Police say he has 10 prior arrests and is already serving lifetime parole for murder.