1 Dead In Crash As Police Chase Motorcyclist In Hackensack
HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A police officer was pursuing a motorcycle when a monumental crash happened Thursday afternoon in Hackensack, New Jersey, leaving one person dead.
As CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported, ambulances raced to the scene of the police-involved crash just before 2 p.m. on Summit Avenue in Hackensack.
Paramus police had begun pursuing the black motorcycle, whose operator refused to stop, according to Maywood Chief David Pegg. The motorcyclist went onto Route 4 eastbound, and Paramus police lost him, Pegg said.
Ron Colvin saw Paramus police go after the suspect.
"He was coming down that one-way ramp and I thought he was chasing somebody," Colvin said.
Hackensack police then picked up the chase, and one of the Hackensack officers in the pursuit slammed into a silver sedan whose driver was just driving along on Summit Avenue.
The 67-year-old driver of the sedan was killed in the crash, Conybeare reported.
"I was in my house working and I heard a crash," said neighbor Latia Wall.
Wall was one of the first people on the scene.
"I just heard that the cop was speeding to another incident and ran into the car at full speed," Wall said.
Multiple victims were taken to the hospital, including at least one Hackensack police officer and the driver of the silver sedan, who was severely injured. Police would not immediately confirm that the driver of the sedan was the one who later died.
"The person was still in the car and they were doing everything they can, I guess working on them, trying to revive them or save them, and I knew early on that it wasn't good and, it's really disheartening, you know?" Wall said. "It's really disheartening."
Meanwhile, the motorcyclist kept going from Hackensack into Maywood, where he crashed into yet another civilian car at Spring Valley and Coles Avenues, Pegg said.
Neighbor Kenny Pall questioned why officers would chase after a biker through busy residential streets.
"I hope they weren't just chasing him because he was speeding if he committed like a capital crime or something," he said. "I understand keep on them, but sometimes they've got to let off and catch him later."
The motorcyclist – identified as Salvatore Deangelis, 31, of Harriman, was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's office. He was also charged with first-degree eluding.