GRAB & SMASH: A cab, allegedly hijacked by Brian Ambrose (above) in Chelsea, sits wedged between a storefront and a light post in Leonia, NJ, after yesterday’s chase.
A “maniac’’ carjacked a cabby in front of stunned commuters in Chelsea yesterday morning, then sped across the George Washington Bridge and led cops on a spectacular chase in New Jersey before crashing, officials said.
Ex-con Brian Ambrose fled after wedging the yellow taxi between a traffic pole and shop in quiet Leonia but was quickly tackled by cops, authorities said.
But his antics didn’t stop there.
At the Leonia Police Department headquarters, “this maniac head-butted one of my officers,” Lt. Thomas Rowe said.
Ambrose, 40, had first approached the cab, which was carrying a female passenger, at 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue at around 7:20 a.m. and demanded to be taken to the Port Authority, cops said. The hack refused because he already had a fare.
That allegedly sent Ambrose into a violent frenzy in front of morning commuters.
The passenger bolted from the cab as Ambrose socked the hack in the face and dragged him out of the car, officials said.
Ambrose hopped behind the wheel and gunned it up the West Side Highway with NYPD units chasing him, authorities said.
But he lost his pursuers after speeding across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, cops said.
Authorities tracked him to Leonia using a GPS system in the cab.
Cops tried to coax Ambrose into pulling over at Broad Avenue and Crescent Street. But he instead drove up onto Leonia’s sidewalks as frightened pedestrians scampered for their lives, authorities said.
“Ten minutes later, this would have been a horrific event,” Rowe said. “It’s a very busy intersection. We have hundreds of kids who cross at this intersection.”
Ambrose’s hell ride ended when he crashed, officials said.
After allegedly trying to flee and assaulting an officer, Ambrose was hit with an avalanche of charges, including eluding a police officer, resisting arrest, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
He will face raps in both New Jersey and New York.
The unemployed man has been arrested in Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado for crimes including DWI, drugs, assault and weapons possession.
His brother, Randy, 42, of Texas, told The Post that Ambrose took a Greyhound bus from Texas to the city Friday and that he’s struggled with schizophrenia.
“He decided he has no friends here, so he wanted to go to New York to start a new life,’’ Randy Ambrose said. “He’s got a lot of crazy thoughts, that he’s a DEA agent, that the Russian mob is after him.’’
“He just can’t get the help he needs.”