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Crash victim says cruiser theft suspect could've killed her

ATLANTA — Authorities believe a teen charged with stealing a police cruiser was involved in a violent crash moments before, and the alleged victim said she's still recovering.

"He could have killed me, how fast he was going," Ivy Booker told Channel 2's Eric Philips.

On Wednesday morning, she was at the intersection of Lee Street and Astor Avenue in southwest Atlanta on the way to work when someone crashed into her. She said she blacked out right afterward.

"And when I woke up, everybody was working on me, trying to get me out of the car," she said.

She later learned one of the two suspects involved is also accused of stealing an East Point police cruiser from the crash scene.

Police said even before the crash, an officer caught the teen driving 70 mph in a 35-mph zone. The officer followed the driver, but police said the pursuit stopped when the teen began driving erratically. 

"I guess in all that commotion is when he stole the police cruiser," Booker said.

Though handcuffed, police said the 15-year-old managed to climb into the driver's seat and drive to his home on Gideon's Drive in southwest Atlanta, where he held police at bay for three hours. Officers eventually used teargas to get him out and into custody.

"Children don't even think about the consequence of their action," Booker said.

Police said the teen may also be connected to multiple armed robberies across metro Atlanta.

The second suspect involved in Wednesday's incident turned himself in later in the afternoon.