Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the following additional information related to the ongoing investigation of a fatal crash that occurred in February on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Alpine, N.J. This investigation is being conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Shallop.
As previously reported, on Friday, February 28, 2025, at approximately 5:58 a.m., the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police responded to a serious crash involving two vehicles in the southbound direction of the Palisades Interstate Parkway, near the New York state line. Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and investigators from the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force were notified, responded to the scene, and initiated a joint investigation with the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department.
The investigation revealed that the vehicles involved in the collision were a 2025 Nissan Rogue, occupied by five people, and a 2019 Honda CR-V, whose sole occupant was its driver. One of the passengers of the Nissan, later identified as a 16-year-old male from New York, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Another occupant of the Nissan suffered serious injuries, while two other occupants and the driver suffered minor injuries. The driver and passengers were transported to an area hospital for treatment of their injuries. The driver of the Honda was not injured. Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, as well as the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department, continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
As a result of the additional investigation, it was ultimately determined that the 2025 Nissan Rogue was driven by an unlicensed 15-year-old juvenile from New York at the time of the crash. Furthermore, the juvenile operated the 2025 Nissan recklessly and at a high rate of speed, losing control of the vehicle.
On Monday, March 17, 2025, the juvenile driver was taken into protective custody by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department. The juvenile was charged with juvenile delinquency, specifically: second-degree vehicular homicide, N.J.S.A. 2C: 11-5a; third-degree operating a motor vehicle without a license and being involved in a fatal accident, N.J.S.A. 2C:40-22a; fourth-degree operating a motor vehicle without a license and being involved in an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A. 2C: 40-22b; fourth-degree assault by auto, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c(1); and two counts of the disorderly persons offense of assault by auto, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c(1), as well as related motor vehicle offenses. The juvenile was released to home confinement in the custody of a parent or guardian pending further action by Bergen County Superior Court Family Law Division.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police for their assistance in this investigation, along with the Paramus and Tenafly Police Departments, which both participate in the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force.