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A hit-and-run in downtown Seattle turned violent early Friday morning when witnesses attempted to detain the suspects as they fled the scene.
It began when a vehicle, driving the wrong way down Union Street, collided with a car coming out from under Union Square about 2 a.m.
Two men inside the suspect’s vehicle jumped out of their wrecked car and got into a taxi in an attempt to get away, Seattle police detective Mark Jamieson said.
That is when witnesses stepped in and stopped the taxi — explaining to the driver that the suspects were just involved in a crash.
"The suspect driver, who was seated in the backseat of the cab, grabbed the cab driver from behind and tried to grab the keys to the taxi, which were still in the ignition," Jamieson said. "One of the witnesses was recording the incident on his cell phone and the suspect punched him in the face, breaking his jaw, in an attempt to get the phone."
The two suspects then ran off on foot and were located a few blocks away by police.
"The driver, a 26-year-old male, was arrested for investigation of assault and investigation of robbery and charges were requested on assault, hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence," Jamieson said.
The witness who was punched in the face was treated for a broken jaw at Harborview Medical Center.