Women 'ghost car' passengers caught in Queens-Midtown Tunnel police chase: VIDEO

Women passengers caught in tunnel police chase

Three women passengers were caught in the middle of a vehicle chase earlier this week through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. FOX 5 NY's Lissette Nuñez has the story.

QUEENS - Three women passengers were caught in the middle of a vehicle chase earlier this week through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.

According to the NYPD, the chase started on Wednesday morning on the Queens side of the tunnel when the driver of a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee was ordered to stop by an MTA officer, who was part of a multi-agency task force that targets "ghost vehicles."

Halfway through the tunnel heading toward Manhattan, police cruisers caught up to the driver, boxed him in – forcing him to stop – and then arrested him.

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Officer dashcam video of a police chase through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. (NYPD)

Police found the three distressed passengers in the back, who told police they called a medical transport company to get to a doctor's appointment in Midtown that morning.

The vehicle had a fake paper plate and the vehicle identification number did not belong to the same Jeep.

The driver, identified as John Severino, 33, of the Bronx, is facing multiple charges, including assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment and operating an unregistered vehicle. Police say Severino has had his license suspended seven times. He was arraigned on Thursday and pled not guilty.

'Ghost car' crackdown

FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay has more on the steps being taken to get these cars off the streets.

Meanwhile, the latest arrest is part of a city and statewide partnership aimed at cracking down on "ghost vehicles." Since March of this year, police have carried out operations in all five boroughs, resulting in 469 arrests and seizing over 2,000 vehicles.