Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of a Bergen County juvenile on charges of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury, endangering an injured victim, and assault by auto resulting in serious bodily injury. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love and the Teaneck Police Department under the direction of Chief Andrew McGurr.
On Thursday, January 25, 2024, at approximately 7:55 a.m., the Teaneck Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting a two-car motor vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection of Palmer Ave and Sherman Ave in Teaneck, NJ. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit was notified. The initial investigation revealed that a 2015 Ford Explorer struck a 2022 Nissan Rogue, resulting in the vehicles leaving the roadway. The juvenile operator of the Ford Explorer fled on foot after the crash and was subsequently arrested by Teaneck police officers. The victim operating the Nissan Rogue, a 40-year-old female, was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ where she is being treated for serious bodily injuries sustained during the collision.
As a result of the investigation, the juvenile driver was charged with third-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1; third-degree endangering an injured victim, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.2(a); and fourth-degree assault by auto resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A 2C:12-1c(1). The juvenile is being held at a juvenile detention facility pending a first appearance in the Chancery Division, Family Court, in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the Juvenile is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Teaneck Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Palisades Park Police Department and Rutherford Police Department who participate in the Bergen County Fatal Accident Investigation Unit Task Force, for their assistance with the investigation.
