‘I'm Blessed to Have Life:' Man Recounts Horrific Crash After Stolen Vehicle Slammed Into His Car

An innocent man is sharing his story after his car was slammed into by a carjacker who was on the run from police early Wednesday morning.

James Mitchell, 29, is recovering at a Chicago hospital and is thankful to be alive after the crash, which took place in the 9500 block of South Wentworth just after midnight Wednesday.

“I’m blessed to have life still,” he said. “I don’t care about material stuff. I’m going to get it back.”

Mitchell was driving home near the intersection of 95^th Street and Wentworth at approximately 12:15 a.m. Wednesday when a vehicle blew threw a red light, slamming into his car.

“I glanced, I didn’t see anything, then this truck come in at 90 to 100 miles per hour and hit me, caused a little explosion, and an unmarked police car hit me from the back,” he said.

Mitchell says he suffered serious injuries in the crash, including broken ribs and a spinal fracture. Surveillance video from near the scene captured the horrific crash.

“I jumped out of my car, blood everywhere,” he said.

The video showed the massive response by Chicago and Illinois State Police, who put the suspect into custody.

According to police, officers with the Vehicular Hijacking Taskforce observed a black Dodge Durango that had been stolen at gunpoint from a 36-year-old man late Tuesday night.

Officers were preparing to stop the vehicle when they saw the Durango slam into Mitchell’s car.

Officers put the suspect into custody, and recovered a weapon from the floorboard.

While Mitchell is grateful that the suspect is in custody and that he is expected to recover from his injuries, he says that he is saddened by the rash of vehicular hijackings in the city, and the actions of the individuals who steal the vehicles without regard for human life.

“All of them got death wishes,” he said. “It’s sad bro. They really think this life is a video game.”

Illinois State Police are continuing to investigate the crash.