Tel Aviv highway becomes police shootout scene

Police shot and wounded a man in his 30s driving a stolen vehicle, following a highway pursuit on a major thoroughfare near Tel Aviv Monday, Israel Police said.

According to officials, the suspect evaded a police blockade and refused to pull over, engaging in a car chase with officers on Highway 4.

After ramming a police car and “endangering the lives of officers,” the suspect was shot, sustaining wounds to his upper body, according to a police spokesperson.

The man was evacuated to Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikvah in critical condition.

An initial investigation points to a duo of car thieves that were planning to trade stolen vehicles in area. Police received information Monday morning of the impending sale and set up a checkpoint on the road.

The first car was stopped at the barrier. The driver of the second car turned around and sped off, sparking the pursuit.

In April 2013, a similar high-speed car chase in Tel Aviv involving stolen vehicles left six people injured.