Woman Charged After Driving Car Into New Jersey Protesters: Police

FAIRVIEW, NY — A North Bergen woman was arrested after she reportedly drove her car into a group of protesters in Fairview Saturday, police said.

According to the Fairview Police Department, the incident took place on Saturday afternoon during a walk held as part of a public demonstration; an altercation occurred between a protest participant and a motorist at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Anderson Avenue, authorities said.

The demonstrators were crossing the intersection and temporarily holding up traffic when a confrontation took place between a participant and the driver of a vehicle, police said. The participants started to surround the driver’s vehicle, and the driver attempted to proceed through the intersection, striking multiple participants, police said.

Several individuals sustained minor injuries as a result, and one was transported to a local hospital for treatment; all injuries were reported to be non-life threatening, police said.

The driver, identified as Linda Roglen, 62, of North Bergen, was arrested and charged with four criminal counts of assault by auto resulting in body injury, police said. She was also charged with 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 said.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.