TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is actively investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on December 10, in Elizabeth.
The incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals, an adult male and female, whose identities have not yet been released.
The crash occurred following a response by Elizabeth Police Department officers to a report of gunfire in the area of Fourth and Center Streets in Elizabeth. The call, received at approximately 5:42 a.m., led to a brief pursuit of a vehicle suspected to be connected to the incident.
The vehicle in question collided with a taxi at the intersection of Grand Street and Routes 1 and 9. This collision tragically resulted in the deaths of the taxi driver and the sole passenger. Meanwhile, two of the three occupants in the pursued vehicle were arrested and subsequently hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The third occupant fled the scene on foot and is currently at large.
Under a 2019 law (P.L. 2019, c. 1), the Attorney General’s Office is mandated to investigate any death occurring during an encounter with law enforcement or while the individual is in custody. The law also requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to ascertain if the evidence warrants an indictment against the involved officers.
In addition to the Attorney General’s Office, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the potential criminal conduct related to the fatal accident and the events that preceded it.