LOS ANGELES, CA – A man injured in a crash involving a suspected carjacker in Beverly Hills last week is recovering in the hospital and shared his story of the harrowing event that left him severely injured.
Russell Stuart, a father and military veteran, is undergoing treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for multiple injuries, including a broken arm, a dislocated tricep, and other fractures.
“The list [of injuries] is way too long for me to memorize,” Stuart said from his hospital bed.
The incident began on Friday when a suspect carjacked a BMW X3 in Beverly Hills. Shortly after, police were alerted to a crash involving the stolen vehicle near Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Drive. Four people, including a child, were injured in the collision, with Stuart sustaining the most severe injuries.
Stuart, his wife, and their 6-year-old daughter were attending the annual Beverly Hills tree lighting ceremony when the crash occurred. He had stepped away to purchase a balloon for his daughter when disaster struck.
“I was walking with my dog, found the balloon, walked up to the vendor, pulled the money out of my pocket to pay for the balloon, bent down to pay for the balloon, heard the tire screeching around the corner, turned my head briefly, and literally lights went out,” Stuart recounted. “I woke up in an ambulance.”
His dog, who was pinned under one of the vehicles during the crash, survived and is also expected to make a full recovery. Stuart expressed gratitude that his family emerged from the ordeal alive and is focusing on their collective recovery.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old James Portul of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was arrested in connection with the carjacking.
The investigation into the crash and carjacking remains ongoing.
