Police Searching For Suspect Who Stole Car In Galloway Township,

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Galloway police are looking for a suspect who stole a Chrysler minivan, fled after a motor vehicle stop, then crashed into a tree, Detective Lt. Joseph J. Picardi said.

The officer stopped the minivan at Route 9 and Seaview Ridge Drive at 8:47 p.m. on March 25. As he approached the vehicle, the driver took off at a high rate of speed. The vehicle crashed into a tree at Jimmie Leeds Road and New Leaf Court and the driver fled into the woods, he said.

At about this time police learned that the Chrysler had been stolen from a residence in Smithville just 15 minutes before the motor vehicle stop.

Galloway police, assisted by Stockton University police, surrounded the area and began a police K9 search. The New Jersey State Police aviation division used a helicopter to search the wooded area, Picard said.

After a thorough search, it was determined that the suspect, a white male, had escaped the area and was unable to be located.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Bryan Casey at (609) 652-3705 Ext. 310. Tips can also be received anonymously via Atlantic County Crime Stoppers at (609) 652-1234 or 1-800-658-TIPS (8477).

Logo: Courtesy of Galloway Township Police Department