A four-car accident on Monday night at the intersection of Avenue A and 21st Street in Bayonne sent a 62-year-old woman and 14-year-old girl went to hospital for treatment of head injuries.

The car accident, the exact cause of which is still under investigation, may have been caused by a number of factors, including a hidden stop sign, careless passing, and/or failure to stop at a stop sign.

According to police, witnesses said they saw a black 1998 Honda Prelude driving north on Avenue A at a fast speed, closely tailing another unidentified vehicle around 7:20 p.m. The accident occurred when the driver of the Honda tried to pass the other vehicle before it turned east onto 21st Street. The Honda crashed head-on into a Toyota Camry who was also attempting to turn east onto 21st Street.

The 21-year-old driver of the Honda had two passengers in the vehicle with him, an 18-year-old girl in front and a 14-year-old in back. Police are not certain of the nature of the relationship between the vehicle occupants.

Police said the Camry was sent up onto a residential sidewalk and the Honda flipped over onto its top and slid down road, hitting a parked Honda CRV on Avenue A, which in turn lurched forward, hitting the car parked in front of it, causing damage to both vehicles.

According to the 21-year-old Honda driver, the 69-year-old woman who was driving the Camry had run the stop sign at the intersection. But according to police, another vehicle parked in the crosswalk of the intersection could have contributed to the problem, as it may have been blocking the stop sign. That vehicle was impounded following the accident for “creating a hazardous situation.”

Although police have not yet spoken to the 69-year-old woman, the 21-year-old man has been charged with careless driving and improper passing.

Source: Jersey Journal, “Four-car accident in Bayonne sends woman, 14-year-old girl to hospital,” Terrence T. McDonald, 29 Mar 2911.