LINDEN, NJ — Three people were injured, including an infant who police said was critically hurt, after a multi-vehicle crash shut down a Linden street Monday afternoon. Investigators said the collision happened on East Linden Avenue and involved four mangled vehicles scattered across the roadway.
Police said the driver of a dark Jeep SUV was arrested after the crash. Surveillance video appears to show the Jeep speeding eastbound just before 3 p.m., passing slower traffic and moving with two police cruisers behind it, lights flashing.
The crash drew investigators to the residential block for hours as officers worked to sort out how the wreck unfolded and clear the scene.
Video appears to show Jeep speeding before the collision
Video from the area appears to show the Jeep traveling quickly down East Linden Avenue shortly before the crash. The SUV is seen going past other vehicles moving more slowly, with police cruisers close behind.
Witnesses said the Jeep then went around a red pickup and entered oncoming traffic. That movement led to a collision with a sedan, which spun around and then crashed into a parked car.
The sequence left multiple vehicles badly damaged and blocked the street. Police have not released more detail on what prompted the driver to move into the opposite lane before the impact.
Infant, man and woman rushed to the hospital
Police said one of the vehicles carried a young child strapped into a car seat. The infant was critically injured and taken to the hospital along with a man and a woman who were also in the car.
A witness at the scene said it appeared the baby may have been thrown from the seat during the collision. Another witness said the car seat had been removed and placed on the street.
Officials did not immediately release the names of the injured or give an update on their conditions beyond the description of the infant’s injuries as critical.
Passengers and neighbors described the crash as it happened
People in nearby vehicles and along the street watched the wreck unfold in a matter of seconds. John Cieri, who said he was a passenger in one of the vehicles involved, said the Jeep hit the driver’s side before striking a small Honda head-on.
Witness Joanne Legair said the scene was chaotic and that she saw the baby after the crash. Her account matched the concern that quickly spread among bystanders as emergency crews worked.
Natalie Evertsz, whose car was damaged in the collision, said her main concern was for the people and the infant involved. The crash left debris and damaged vehicles across the road, making the block look like a pileup rather than a single impact.
Police arrested the Jeep driver at the scene
Authorities said the driver of the SUV was arrested shortly after the crash. Police did not immediately say what charges, if any, the driver may face.
The collision involved at least several vehicles, including the Jeep, the red pickup, the sedan and the parked car that was struck after the first impact. By the time investigators finished their initial response, the roadway was still lined with wreckage.
Police continued to treat the crash as an active investigation and said the circumstances remain under review. Officials have not said whether speed, police pursuit or another factor played the biggest role in the wreck.
East Linden Avenue scene remained under investigation for hours
The crash tied up a residential stretch of East Linden Avenue for hours as investigators documented the scene and worked around the damaged vehicles. The street closure added to the disruption for nearby residents and drivers in the area.
What began as a fast-moving sequence on video ended with emergency crews, investigators and bystanders all focused on the same question: how a speeding SUV ended up in a multi-car collision with an infant among the injured.
Police said the investigation is continuing. For now, the confirmed facts are the injuries, the arrest and the unusually violent chain of impacts that left four vehicles wrecked on the road.
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