BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A pedestrian is dead and a man is facing a slew of charges following multiple carjackings and a series of accidents across multiple cities and towns on Monday night, according to City of Tonawanda Police.
The City of Tonawanda Police said the Town of Hamburg police initially received reports of a hit and run out of the Town of Evans.
Authorities said Hamburg police abandoned a chase when the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Mark Whalen of Hamburg, wouldn’t stop for them. Officers then pursued him on Route 5 until the Skyway, where Whalen drove through the City of Buffalo and then into the Town of Tonawanda.
According to police, on Delaware Avenue near Enola Avenue, Whalen hit a vehicle and continued driving.
Police said they received a call just after 8:15 p.m. Monday, where Whalen hit a 40-year-old male pedestrian in the City of Tonawanda, killing him.
Shortly following, he rear-ended a truck at Delaware Avenue and Broad Street in Tonawanda, carjacked that vehicle, and got into another accident in North Tonawanda where he failed to steal another vehicle. Police said Whalen then unsuccessfully tried to carjack another vehicle, which led to a collision, and was taken into custody near the intersection of Sweeney and Main Streets.
WIVB News 4 spoke with Terrence Long, who said he was driving the truck that was carjacked.
“It was surreal. The guy just came out of nowhere and well, he barreled into the side of me and he confronted me, ran around his van, and he took off with my truck over the bridge,” Long said.
Whalen is facing several charges:
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second-degree manslaughter
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third-degree grand larceny
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second-degree reckless endangerment
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third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle
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leaving the scene of a fatal accident
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seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
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multiple traffic violations
Tonawanda police captain Kevin Ulmer said Whalen was possibly involved in other accidents that are unconfirmed, including on Church Street in Buffalo. He said in the end there were up to six damaged vehicles scattered across multiple municipalities.
“When we got there the incident was over and it was more a matter of slowing it down because you don’t want to miss anything,” Ulmer said. “This magnitude in a city like this, this was a giant scene for us.”
Whalen was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in the City of Tonawanda court.
“I’ve been doing this job for over 20 years now. I’ve never responded to a scene of this magnitude, so it absolutely shakes the foundation of the city,” Ulmer said. “It’s absolutely tragic.”
Anyone with information, video or witnesses are asked to contact police at (716) 692-2121 ext. 304 or ext. 0.
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