A 69-year-old man was knocked over and part of his lower leg run over when a friend attempted to take off in his van at Mission and 22nd streets shortly before noon on Thursday.
John Sykes said he had the hood of his Chevrolet van open at the southeast corner of the intersection and was inspecting his battery when a woman he knows gunned the engine before he could move out of the way. She made a right-hand turn on 22nd, scraping a light pole at the corner.
Witnesses at the scene said that after the van drove off, they saw Sykes lying on the ground, complaining of extreme pain in his leg.
The suspect took a second right-hand turn onto Capp Street, and witnesses said she left the vehicle at 23rd and fled on foot.
“We got the van, but not the girl,” a police officer on the scene said.
A bystander, Christian Wilcox, said he took off running after the van on 22nd Street, and a parking control officer took over the chase when the suspect turned right on Capp. The van was still parked at Capp and 23rd streets Thursday afternoon, and police were inspecting it.
Officers at the scene said they did not know the suspect’s motive for allegedly attempting to steal the van or injure Sykes. The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening and he received medical treatment at the scene.