Couple carjacked during first date; causing delays on Major Deegan Expressway: sources

NEW YORK (PIX11) – A man and woman were carjacked in Manhattan early Tuesday morning, which led to severe delays on the Major Deegan Expressway as police searched for the suspects, according to the NYPD.

The couple were on their first date, sources told PIX11 News. The carjacking happened around 3:16 a.m. near 38th Street and 7th Avenue, police said.

The two were sitting in a 2021 BMW sedan when they were approached by two men at gunpoint, who demanded the car, according to authorities. The woman escaped from the suspects, while the 23-year-old man was pistol-whipped as he got out of the car, police said.

Both suspects took off in the BMW, which was tracked to the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx. A police cruiser followed the BMW, and both suspects bailed out of the car onto the expressway near West 240th Street and Van Cortlandt Park, according to authorities.

The southbound portion of the Major Deegan was closed for the investigation but is now back open. The northbound lanes of the Major Deegan Expressway were also closed near Exits 10 and 11, according to authorities.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org , downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

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