A chaotic morning unfolded in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood Tuesday after a reckless driver sped away from police and left two children behind in an abandoned vehicle, authorities confirmed.
According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, officers spotted a car swerving dangerously along Northeast 62nd Street and attempted to pull the driver over. But instead of stopping, the driver hit the gas and vanished into surrounding streets.
Police later located the vehicle, ditched in the 1700 block of NE 56th Street. To their shock, two children were still inside.
Children Safe, But Questions Mount
Miraculously, the children were unharmed and were quickly reunited with their mother, police said. However, the suspect had vanished before law enforcement arrived at the scene.
The neighborhood, typically calm and residential, turned into a scene of intense activity.
“I was in the bedroom looking at TV and I got up because I kept hearing the helicopter,” said a resident named Sandra.
“All of a sudden, I looked out the window and I saw the car there.”
That sudden realization left many residents uneasy as law enforcement swarmed the area, canvassing the neighborhood and using helicopters to aid in their search.
Suspicious Van Draws Attention
Meanwhile, neighbors reported seeing police focus their attention on a white van that had been left abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, a vehicle that was unfamiliar to them.
One resident, who spoke with NBC6 on the condition of anonymity, shared that he saw the same van and noticed a boy and a girl near it, speaking with police officers.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities have yet to identify or locate the driver responsible for the dangerous getaway and abandonment of the children. Investigators continue to comb the area and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The incident has left neighbors shaken, not just by the sudden police presence, but by the disturbing thought that two young children were left in harm’s way during a police pursuit.
