New Milford, NJ – A 10-year-old girl was killed tonight when a speeding car thief attempting to outrun police crashed into her family’s sedan at a busy New Milford intersection.
The girl was in the backseat of a Honda Accord driven by her mother when it was struck by a Mercedes-Benz stolen from a house in Bergenfield.
A 14-year-old seated beside the girl was critically injured, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said.
Watch report FOX NEWS click here
The ferocity of the collision ripped the Honda in two, with the back half of the car – including the rear seat – sent hurtling to the curb. A 14-year-old in the front seat was also injured, as was the girl’s mother. One of the teens is the woman’s son, but it was not clear whether it is the critically injured teen. “It’s an unbelievable scene,” Molinelli said.
Molinelli said the details of the chase are sketchy, but that it began when a Sylvan Avenue resident left his keys in the Mercedes while he went into his house to retrieve keys for another car. When the man came out, he saw the thief driving away in the Mercedes.
The owner of the car called 911 and pursued the stolen sedan in another vehicle.
Several police agencies took over the chase and followed the car into a Walgreen’s parking lot on Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, where the Mercedes struck a median and lost a tire, witnesses said.
The car, which was stolen by a Bergenfield resident, then sped down New Bridge Road. It was not clear if police chased the Mercedes at a high rate of speed.
VIN News has learned that the family and teens involved in this horrific crash live in Fair Lawn, NJ, and are students at the Orthodox Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus, NJ. VIN News has also learned that the family and teens where heading to celebrate ‘simchat beit hashoevah’ at Solomon Shechter day School.
Chesed Shel Emes heading with a full crew to the scene.
U/D: 10:19am
The body is being released at this time with non invasive autopsy. The funeral will be gravesite service at 2:45 at Cedar Park Cemetery in Praumas NJ.
I wish the victims family to overcome this terrible tragedy, and to cope with this loss.
A 10 yrs old life was cut short due to a thief’s greed, by driving this vehicle recklessly and at a hi-speed, this car became his weapon, I hope he gets life, and I wish he will never see the light of day….
BDH! Hashem Yerachaim
This is why the NYPD and most police departments in populated areas, call off all pursuits involving stolen cars and similar crimes. May hashem help the family cope.
why was it necessary for the police to give chase? and at such speeds? let them recover the car later. and if not, let insurance pay out. how could the police continue chasing the thief after they see he is blowing past red lights, and putting innocent bystanders at risk. i’m not at all justifying the car thief, but the police are clearly wrong.
i’m sure the police are now happy they caught the thief…….at the expense of an innocent life. i would rather have 10,000 cars stolen, thenone person injured.
BDE
Boruch Dayan Emes!
Hashem is already with the entire mishpacha. May they all receive great and gentle consolation.
This brings to mind shiluach hakan where the gemara brings the case of the child who fell nebech while listening to his father.
Hashem yerachaim.
Having lost my brother 8 years ago in a traffic accident, I know that the pain, while might lessen, never goes away. The family’s scars will never heal, but we are a closer family.
My heart goes out, not only to the parents of the child, but to the parents of the other kids in the car, and to the entire mishpacha.
To the family, my heart goes out to you…I am soo sorry for your loss. To the animal that did this …may you rot in jail forever. I hope that this savage is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and then some….please no bleeding hearts for this person…let him rot hell!!
I’m not very sympathetic to the owner of this car who felt a uncontrollable urge to speed after his stolen vehicle,… putting others in harms way. Its just a car afterall! What a jerk…..I think he’s just as responsible….he must feel miserable and he should.
according to the news report, it was the owner of the car chasing the stolen car- they dont even know how close the police really were. maybe we shouldnt blame the cops? maybe there is some liability on the guy who owns the mercedes and was chasing it?
Terrible very sad, BDE
The owner of the vehicle could’ve just been following and trying to keep up with the thief so as to be able to assist the police in his location. I’d probably do the same (though i wouldnt put my life or anyone else’s life in danger) if that ever happened to me g-d forbid.
Attached is an e-mail from Dr. Kalman Stein of Frisch. Please include Aviezer ben Minda Zahava in your Tefilot
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We are so sorry to inform you that Miriam Avraham, younger sister of our ninth grader, Shachar Avraham, daughter of Helene and Moshe Avraham, was killed in a car accident last night.
The funeral will take place graveside, today (Friday, the 17th), at Beth-El Cemetery in Paramus at 2:30 p.m.
Frisch ninth grader, Eric Brauner, Yibadel L’Chaim, was injured in the accident. He is in the hospital and our latest information is that while he was seriously hurt he’s in stable condition. His name is Aviezer Barukh ben Minda Zahava. Please add his name to your Tefilot.
Hashem Yirachem! May HKB”H Grant the family the koiach they need to continue, and the true nechama!
may god almighty send moshiach finally so we can all live in peace !
BDE
Miriam was my little cousin. She was a beautiful, young, precocious girl and she is truly, truly missed.
I’d do anything to have her back in our lives. this is killing me.
I feel so sorry for this family may Hashem have compassion on all. My heart is with you.
i knew this family. im still close with them