The tow truck driver who witnessed a driver hit a pedestrian and then drive away on Monday night continued to tell his story about embarking on a high-speed chase to nab the suspect. According to the Daily News, Peter Dinome pursued the driver "for nearly 8 miles through the Bronx, desperately weaving in and out of traffic as he tried to catch the suspect." Dinome admitted, "At times I was going 120, 130, I was moving," and also told the News that suspect Michael "Fennell drove the wrong direction down several one-way streets while trying to lose him." Dinome said of his actions, "I couldn't let someone die right before my eyes and let him get away. I'm not a hero - I just did a thing that I thought was right," and claims a cop offered to pay for his upcoming speeding ticket (since he was caught on a red-light camera), "All the cops were patting me on the back." Fennell was charged with leaving the scene of an accident; the victim, Braulio Lopez-Cruz, is in serious but stable condition at Jacobi Hospital.
More On Driver Who Chased Hit-And-Run Suspect
NYPD Denies High Speed Chase Led to Greenpoint Crash, Fatality
There's no blood on the hands of the NYPD, as usual. On Monday night the 94th Precinct held a community meeting that touched upon the fatal hit and run in Greenpoint on April 27th. Streetsblog reports that the officers denied that a high-speed chase led to the death of 38-year-old local mom Violetta Kryzak.
NJ High-Speed Chase Leads to Child's Death
Last night, a stolen Mercedes-Benz, chased by the car's owner and police from a number of towns, barreled into a Honda Accord in New Milford, NJ. The Bergen Record reports that the Accord was ripped in half, killing a 10-year-old girl and critically injuring a 14-year-old boy (the car was driven by the 10-year-old's mother). The impact of the crash sent debris hundreds of feet. The Mercedes had apparently been left running when the owner went inside his house for another car's keys; when he saw his car was stolen, he called the police and tried to pursue Harold Saenz, 22, himself. A Bergen County prosecutor says police were not chasing the stolen car--just following. Saenz suffered minor injuries and taken into police custody; he was charged with felony murder and aggravated manslaughter.

