An early Wednesday carjacking ended badly for two Philadelphia teens.
Police said that a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old stole a vehicle but did not get far, according to WPVI-TV.
The car hit a tree, knocking it over, then caromed off to hit another tree, leaving the street filled with debris.
Police said, the teens were unable to run away because they were trapped inside the vehicle until first responders arrived to free them and take them to a hospital. No report on their injuries was available.
Police said the teens will be charged.
According to Philadelphia police data, 19,213 automobiles have been stolen in the city this year to date, up from 9,610 a year ago. That is a 99.93 percent increase.
In a September report, WPVI-TV noted that police warned motorists that carjackings at gunpoint often led to the vehicle being driven out of state and into New Jersey.
“You can’t even park your car anymore in your neighborhood and feel safe that your car is going to be safe,” said David Jackson, who lives near the scene of one carjacking.
“To be honest, I felt like everywhere is not safe anymore,” the station quoted one South Philadelphia carjacking victim as saying.
He said he exited his vehicle to find a gun pointed at him.
“The second came with an assault rifle with him, and that’s when I decided, ‘Oh I don’t think it’s worth anymore to fight,'” he said.
In August, police arrested a 15-year-old in Camden, New Jersey, in connection with an attempted carjacking that resulted in the death of a 50-year-old Philadelphia man, according to WCAU.
Michael Salerno was shot in the head, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
“It appears that the shooter or shooters were standing very, very close to this 50-year-old victim when the shot was fired,” Small said.
Philadelphia Police Homicide Lt. Hamilton Marshmond said three people were involved in the incident, in which the suspects appeared to drive around looking for a potential carjacking victim.
“We as a society can no longer accept the actions of individuals who prey on this city. We can no longer make excuses for criminals that continue to break the laws and kill members of our society,” Marshmond said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.