Bergen Man Causes NY Crash That Injures 20 People, Indicted: Officials

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A local man was indicted for causing a car crash that injured about 20 people, including a pre-teen girl who had her leg amputated as a result of her injuries, according to authorities.

Jonathan Valentin, of Maywood, allegedly crashed into another car, causing it to plow through the front of a crowded restaurant in Inwood. He then fled the scene "in an attempt to evade responsibility," the Manhattan District Attorney's office said of the Jan. 2 incident.

According to official records, at about 9 p.m., Valentin accelerated out of a gas station and crashed into an Uber car on Broadway just north of 204th street, causing the vehicle to careen into a packed restaurant.

“An 11-year-old has suffered life changing injuries as a result of this defendant’s alleged reckless behavior,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

In addition to the 11-year-old girl, a one-year-old toddler sustained a broken foot. The Uber driver was also injured, and his car was damaged, Bragg said.

Valentin, 26, was charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, causing serious physical injury, assault, and other vehicle and traffic law violations.

The Maywood man, whose license was already revoked in New York, fled the scene to New Jersey, Bragg said.

"We will continue to fully investigate incidents of serious traffic violence and hold irresponsible drivers accountable," the district attorney said.