Man Dies in Fiery Crash After Alleged Rape Attempt

A man who tried to sexually assault a woman in Fort Lee died in a fiery wreck early Tuesday after he fled on the Palisades Interstate Parkway and crashed into a tree, authorities said.

Two men picked up a woman in New York and were supposed to drive her home to the Bronx, according to Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli. The woman was instead driven over the George Washington Bridge into Fort Lee.

In Fort Lee, the driver got out of the car and attempted to assault the woman, Molinelli said. The second man stayed in the back seat where he may have been incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, the prosecutor said.

A cab driver interrupted the attack, apparently causing the driver to take off north on the Parkway, according to the prosecutor. Sometime later the car slammed into a tree and burst into flames on the highway in Alpine.

“No one was chasing the vehicle to our knowledge at this time and circumstances surrounding [the] crash also unknown,” Molinelli said in a statement.

The passenger was hospitalized after being thrown from the car and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The woman was also taken to an area hospital, but it was not yet clear if she was involved in the crash.

The dead man's name was not immediately released and authorities had not yet provided more information on the incident. 

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