Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, led by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, directed by Drew Skinner, are currently investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in East Orange, following a police pursuit that started in Newark.
The incident resulted in the death of one driver and non-life-threatening injuries to two other drivers. The crash involved multiple vehicles, including a civilian vehicle that was struck by the pursued vehicle, which also hit two other vehicles, one of which was a parked ambulance. The identities of the individuals involved have not been released at this time.
The initial stages of the pursuit began when Bloomfield Police Department officers, alerted by an Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system about a vehicle connected to a pending robbery investigation, attempted to stop the vehicle in Newark. The driver, however, failed to comply, leading to a pursuit through Bloomfield and ultimately into East Orange where the fatal crash occurred.
The investigation is still ongoing, and further details are withheld pending its completion. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), the incident requires a grand jury investigation to determine if any indictments will be issued against the officers involved, as the crash occurred during a police pursuit and resulted in a fatality. This law mandates such investigations when a death occurs in the presence of law enforcement or while an individual is in custody.
