ST. LOUIS — A carjacking outside a downtown Papa John's restaurant early Wednesday ended in a 17-year-old suspect crashing just east of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.
The carjacking happened shortly before 1 a.m. outside the restaurant at 201 N. Tucker Boulevard. According to a report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, a 30-year-old man was getting into his car when a 17-year-old boy pointed a gun at him and told him to get out.
Blake Richards, who works at the Papa John's, told 5 On Your Side the victim was his boss.
He said that he came outside to see the suspect pointing a gun at his boss and trying to steal his new car. The suspect took the keys, at which point Richards said his boss and another coworker started firing shots at the car. The suspect fired back, he said, but no one was hurt.
“It’s startling at first, but it’s one of those things where we’re just kind of like numb to it at this point," he said. "It just keeps happening to our coworkers. It’s the third carjacking at this restaurant in the last six months.”
St. Louis police pursued the car eastbound on Interstate 70, and the suspect lost control and crashed just east of the Stan Musial Bridge.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The car suffered heavy damage to its front end.
An investigation is underway.