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Witness Jumps Into Action, Chases Down Driver After SUV Hits Bronx Gas Station

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A wild crash at a Bronx gas station was caught on camera, showing a car slamming into the front of the store and injuring a customer inside.

The driver is now accused of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident, reports CBS2's Hazel Sanchez.

The incident happened just before 6 a.m. on Sunday morning.

In the video, a customer is seen walking into the BP gas station on E. 138th Street in the south Bronx. Seconds later, he narrowly escapes getting hit by a car crashing through the front entryway.

"I hear screeeeech, boom!" recalled witness George Robinson, who had just finished putting gas in his car. "The car came from the side, tried to stop here but instead somehow ended up going full speed right into this store here."

SUV Crashes Into Bronx Gas Station
(credit: CBS2)

Police identified the driver as 22-year-old Santa Moya of Passaic, New Jersey.

Robinson says Moya got out of her SUV, but quickly jumped back in and tried to drive away.

"That's when I jumped in my car and she went that way," he said. "She came around and I keep chasing her. And she went down the ramp when she couldn't go any further. I blocked her from moving."

There was nowhere to run and clearly no way to hide what happened. The front end of Moya's SUV was so badly damaged, it fell off.

Responding police officers say they smelled alcohol on Moya's breath. Her eyes were glossy and her speech slurred.

Police say a breathalyzer test showed Moya's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.

Gas station manager Harry Singh and his employees have a lot of damage to repair, but they're relieved it's all replaceable and no lives were lost.

Robinson is thankful he was at the right place at the right time to stop a bad situation from becoming a lot worse.

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