Fleeing Shoplifting Suspect Rammed Cars Before Eventually Crashing Into Snowbank On Boston Post Road: Police

PORT CHESTER, NY — The call came in just after noon. There was a larceny in progress at the downtown Stop & Shop.

What happened next couldn't have been foreseen.

While Port Chester police officers were responding, a vehicle that matched the description of the one the suspect was in was spotted leaving the scene. Police stopped the vehicle and opened the door to have the suspect step out of the vehicle, but, according to cops, the suspect veered to avoid officers and accelerated at a high speed onto N. 4th Main Street.

The vehicle briefly became wedged in between other cars stopped in traffic at North Main and Westchester Avenue, but the suspect again accelerated forward and back — nearly striking an officer, according to police.

The suspect intentionally drove into vehicles causing damage, before again fleeing the scene, according to PCPD.

A decision was made not to immediately pursue the suspect out of concern for public safety, but an officer spotted the vehicle on Boston Post Road and attempted to stop it. The driver again refused to stop, police said. When the suspect attempted to make a U-turn, however, she crashed into a snowbank, ending the chase.

The driver, identified as 50-year-old Tara Brown Birkinshaw, of the Bronx, was taken to the hospital where she is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.

Several vehicles, including a police car, were damaged when Brown intentionally drove into them, police said. Two motorists were injured during her attempt to avoid justice, according to police. They were also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Brown was charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief related to the intentional damage, and aggravated vehicle assualt for injuring motorists while she was operating under the influence of narcotics.

She also faces reckless endangerment and petit larceny charges, along with a laundry list of traffic violations.

"Unfortunately, this driver made a bad decision to make a larceny charge into something extremely worse and risked injury to the public and officers," the Port Chester Police Department said in a statement. "We would like to thank Rye PD for assistance during this incident."