Three suspects are in custody and one person was seriously injured after a collision in Hayes Valley that followed a high-speed chase stemming from a mugging in Pacific Heights. The three men, suspects in the theft of a backpack outside the Peet's at Fillmore and Sacramento, fled south in a silver Mercedes SUV, ultimately smashing into a Mazda minivan at the corner of Hayes and Buchanan, seriously wounding the driver of that car. And the incident all seems to stem from the resale value of a goddamn iPad.
The theft occurred at around 5 p.m. when one of the suspects stole a woman's backpack containing an iPad, which was witnessed by many people on the street. The crime was immediately called in multiple times to police, with a clear description of the getaway vehicle. The SUV then managed to side-swipe a KPIX van as it sped down Steiner Street, and also sped past the parking lot of the SFPD's Northern Station. Officers were in hot pursuit and the SUV was going at high speed when it collided with the minivan next to the Hayes Valley Playground. The driver of the minivan was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and a child on the playground was injured by flying debris from the crash.
The three suspects tried to get out of the SUV and run but all three were apprehended by police. The driver of the getaway car also appeared to be injured.
Ironically, the KPIX van was nearby getting ready to cover a community meeting at the Bean There cafe on Steiner, the sole purpose of which was to discuss the recent uptick of iPhone and iPad snatchings in the Western Addition.
