Crime & Safety

NJ State Police Trooper Injured While Chasing Stolen Car: Police

An officer sustained a knee injuring after attempting to approach a stolen car that had slowed down in traffic.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey State Police trooper was injured and taken to the hospital during a car chase Sunday afternoon, police said.

The car, a black BMW X5 had been stolen out of Totowa. Troopers first noticed it in the parking deck of the American Dream Mall, as four men got inside.

Police turned on the overhead lights and sirens, in an attempt to stop the BMW, but it kept driving onto the New Jersey Turnpike. The BMW exited the turnpike and continued onto State Highway 495, where it was forced to slow down due to heavy traffic.

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At that point, two troopers exited their cars and attempted to approach the BMW, when it accelerated and fled, according to police.

One of the troopers sustained a knee injury as he returned to his troop car in an attempt to stop the BMW. He was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center.

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The stolen car was later found abandoned on Hillside Avenue in Irvington. The case remains under investigation.

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