An elderly woman was killed and another was in critical condition after a blue minivan fleeing the police struck a Honda at an intersection in Harlem, sending the minivan over a curb and into the two women on Tuesday morning, according to a witness and police officials.

Wayne Harris, a 42-year-old salon owner, was sitting in his car at the corner of West 122nd Street and Lenox Avenue, when he saw the blue minivan barreling down Lenox Avenue southbound at a high speed. A black unmarked police car with lights flashing and sirens blaring followed about a block behind, he said.

The minivan ran through a red light and collided with a Honda Odyssey minivan. The blue minivan started spinning and hit two elderly women who were standing on a traffic island at Lenox and West 122nd, waiting to cross, he said.

“It made a loud impact like an explosion,” Mr. Harris said.

When the minivan came to a halt, one man jumped out of the passenger side. The driver’s door was stuck, but once the driver got it open, he got out and ran as well, Mr. Harris said. The two men fled east on 122nd Street.

Three people inside the Honda Odyssey were hospitalized after the accident, which occurred about 9:30 a.m., the police said.

Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said the chase began when the police pulled over three suspects wanted in connection with a gunpoint robbery that had happened minutes before.

Mr. Browne said the robbery occurred on Lenox Avenue, between W. 122nd and W. 123rd Streets. Police officers stopped the suspects at West 141st Street, and pulled the driver from the minivan. At that point, one of the two other suspects slid over behind the wheel and drove off, pulling a U-turn and heading back south on Lenox, Mr. Browne said.

Three of the wounded were taken to Harlem Hospital, where one of the women was apparently later confirmed dead. Two others were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, a fire official said.

(Source: NY Times Blog)