By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Lyft driver chased down a hit-and-run suspect early Friday morning after witnessing the driver strike a pedestrian and take off, Phoenix police said.
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Phoenix police said officers were called to the scene of a hit-and-run near 27th Avenue and Northern just after 1 a.m.
Octave Gwin was parked nearby waiting for a passenger when he said something caught his eye.
“I’ve been doing FedEx and UPS driving forever. So I literally can see accidents before they happen and I seen it unfolding,” Gwin said.
Witness describes the crash
Gwin said a man and his friend were crossing the street when the driver ran a red light.
“Literally, when the guy ran a red light, he hit him, his buddy didn’t even stop,” Gwin said.
Gwin said the driver then turned around and hit the victim two more times.
“Because when he hit him, he was in the air, then he hit him again, the guy rode up the side of his car, then he came out the parking lot and ran over his arm. And that’s when I was like, boom, boom, boom. And I just took off after him,” Gwin said.
Driver followed suspect for miles
“It was really dangerous. And I actually shouldn’t have done it after talking to 911 dispatch and the police,” Gwin said.
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Gwin said the driver got away at one point, but he was able to follow a trail of destruction the driver left behind.
“He hit a sign. He hit a tree. And then like at that point I seen like the smoke, smoke and stuff like that. And that’s when he backed out the apartment complex and went through the other gate,” Gwin said.
Officers took the suspect into custody with a SWAT team. Police say the driver was likely impaired.
The victim is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
“Everyone is somebody and no one should be left like that. And that’s just pretty much why I did it just because of, you know, I have a lot of empathy and I just love people,” Gwin said.
Gwin said he posted about the situation on social media and was able to learn more about the victim. His hope is to be able to meet him.
Phoenix police have not released the suspect’s identity or possible charges.
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