Brooklyn car thief jumps behind wheel of idling Uber, speeds off only to die in crash

An opportunistic Brooklyn car thief who jumped behind the wheel of an idling Uber early Monday was killed minutes later when he crashed into a building, splitting the stolen car in two, police said.

The black Honda Civic’s 42-year-old owner told cops he had left the car running near Flatbush Ave. and Regent Place in Flatbush when the crook jumped into the driver’s seat at about 2 a.m. and drove off.

The robber — who sources say is believed to be in his 20s — sped a dozen blocks down Flatbush Ave. before vaulting the curb and crashing into a salon with an apartment above it at Avenue J, cops said. He also struck a tree and was ejected from the car, which was torn in two in the blistering crash.

Medics rushed the man to Kings County Hospital, where he died about 20 minutes later. Cops are working to determine his identity.

It was not immediately clear if the car’s owner was working for Uber at the time it was stolen. The man who reported the car stolen is not listed as a Taxi and Limousine Commission licensed driver — and the car is registered with the TLC under somebody else’s name.

Originally Published: September 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM EDT