An 18-year-old New York City man was speeding and intoxicated when he struck a police vehicle at the scene of a motor vehicle stop on the shoulder of Route 17, leaving one officer seriously injured Saturday night, Oct. 5, authorities said.
Saddle River Police Officer John Latka was conducting a motor vehicle stop in a marked patrol vehicle along the shoulder of Route 17 South near East Allendale Road, around 10:40 p.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Allendale Police Officer Mark Dunn, Jr. soon arrived to assist at the scene, Musella said.
Meanwhile, Joseph Ford was heading south in a Range Rover SUV when he lost control and rear-ended the Allendale police vehicle, “causing a four-car chain-reaction crash involving the vehicle stopped by the Saddle River Police Officer, both patrol cars, and the Range Rover,” Musella said.
Ford tried to flee on foot but was arrested by officers from surrounding agencies that responded to the crash, the prosecutor said.
The crash left the Allendale officer seriously injured, Musella said. Saddle River police officer, one of the occupants of Ford’s vehicle, and an occupant of the vehicle that was originally stopped by the Allendale officer were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the prosecutor said.