Final Report on Officer’s Accident Sheds No New Light

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Last week, a final investigative report was issued on an accident that occurred last October involving a police officer in Teaneck, NJ. But the new report sheds no more light as to the causes of the accident.

The car accident occurred around 1:45 a.m. on Teaneck Road near the police station in Teaneck, NJ. A passing motorist reported the incident minutes after it took place. The police officer had reportedly lost control of his patrol car and jerked the steering wheel left, which sent the car spinning counterclockwise into a utility pole. After the accident, the officer was unconscious and briefly trapped in his patrol. He was later removed, taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

Based on tired marks and other clues from the scene, the officer had been driving between 51 and 58 miles per hour, which is above the posted speed limit. Neither was the officer wearing a seat belt. Despite being over the speed limit, Police are unable to determine why the officer wasn’t able to negotiate a turn in the road. Further, his failure to wear a seat belt would not have protected him in the crash because of the trajectory of the vehicle and the ensuing head injuries.

It is speculated that the officer may have been following another vehicle, as he ran a search on a license plate through the system minutes before the accident, and was unable to find a registered car for the license. Police say the officer may also have mistyped the license plate number.

The officer was well respected, and left behind a wife and a young son. Prior to the accident, he had responded to an emergency call and successfully assisted a choking person.

Source: NorthJersey.com, “Final report on death of Teaneck officer in crash offers no new answers,” Joseph Ax, 12 Jan 2011.