DES MOINES, Iowa — A 24-year-old man is in the Polk County Jail on a $50,000 bond facing five charges after a carjacking and crash Sunday night.
Police say Cory Copley struck a pole with his car near the intersection of SE 14th St and Virginia Ave just before 7 p.m. Sunday evening. He then ran two blocks south to the Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh gas station where he attempted to carjack an unknown driver's Chevy Malibu.
The driver was asleep at the time, and fought back Copley's attempt, police say.
"I think the resistance that he [Copley] met was unexpected. That tussle went threw that car into reverse," said Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department.
The car struck a pole facade, crumbling the bricks to the ground, and exposing the pole.
Copley then took off on foot southbound toward the Buffalo Wild Wings, where bystanders apprehended him and police took him into custody.
Copley left two crucial items in his car that he fled before committing the attempted carjacking.
"One was his driver's license, and he also left behind a handgun. So this could have been a lot worse if he would've had that," Parizek added.
The unnamed driver is out of the hospital after sustaining minor injuries.