FAIRVIEW, N.J. — A viral video that showed a New Jersey woman driving through a crowd of protesters in Fairview has led to criminal charges. In the video, you can see a protester spitting at the woman, then she tried to speed away, blocked by other protesters before she hit the gas and took off.
A North Bergen woman was arrested Saturday after she allegedly struck multiple demonstrators while attempting to drive through a protest crowd in Fairview, according to local police.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Anderson Avenue, where a public demonstration was underway. Fairview Police said participants were crossing the street and temporarily holding up traffic when an altercation began between a protester and a driver.
The driver, identified as Linda Roglen, 62, was behind the wheel when tensions escalated. Authorities said demonstrators began surrounding her vehicle, prompting her to accelerate through the intersection, hitting several participants.
Roglen was arrested at the scene and charged with four counts of assault by auto resulting in bodily injury. She also faces multiple motor vehicle violations, including careless driving, reckless driving, failure to stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injuries, and failure to report a motor vehicle crash.
Police did not disclose the number or extent of injuries, but confirmed that multiple people were struck.
“The participants started to surround the driver’s vehicle, and the driver attempted to proceed through the intersection, striking multiple participants,” Fairview Police said in a statement.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released additional information about the demonstrators involved or whether further charges are expected.
A protest at a busy New Jersey intersection turned into a police investigation after a driver allegedly struck multiple participants.