Hit and Run Cabbie, Cops Chase Down Driver; Victim Critical

Hit and Run Cabbie, Cops Chase Down Driver; Victim Critical  

By Juan Forero
STAFF WRITER

A speeding car smashed into a Minnesota tourist as he crossed an Upper East Side street early yesterday and then sped off, leading an outraged cabbie and police on a high-speed chase that ended in East Harlem with the driver's arrest, police said.

William Eden, 55, of St. Paul, Minn., was crossing Third Avenue at East 95th Street at 1:05 a.m. when, a 1994 Acura struck him, throwing him onto the windshield and smashing it. The driver then sped off, police said, leaving Eden on the pavement.

Eden, who police said was visiting his brother in New York, was rushed to St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center with severe head and body injuries. He was listed in critical condition yesterday afternoon, authorities said.

Police said the car's driver, identified as Francis Almonte, 35, of Washington Avenue in the Bronx, sped north on Third Avenue into East Harlem after the accident. The cab driver, Aaron Manning of the Bronx, who saw the alleged hit-and-run, gave chase, an act police later described as heroic.

At East 117th Street and Second Avenue, Alu and Sgt. John Galasso of the 25th Precinct saw the Acura and the cab speed past. They gave chase, following until the Acura's path was blocked by a sanitation truck. Almonte, police said, ran from his car, but Galasso and Officer Stephen Alu caught him.

"New York always has sort of a rough image about it, but sometimes people get involved and make all the difference in the world," Alu said. "Last night, this made a big difference . . . He was very brave for doing what he did."

Police charged Almonte with reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident where an injury took place. Authorities said alcohol did not play a role in the accident.

The Acura, which was parked outside the 25th Pre¬cinct later yesterday, reflected the severity of the inci¬dent. In addition to the smashed windshield, the hood was dented and the driver's-side window was smashed, with blood spattered on the seats.

Almonte's driving history is checkered, according to Department of Motor Vehicles records. On April 1, 1992, he was involved in a "personal injury" accident. In June, 1994, his license was suspended for speeding. In May, 1994, he was fined for speeding on September 29, 1993.

Bill Alden contributed to this story.