Crime & Safety

Police Officer Hospitalized After Parking Lot Accident

Fair Lawn police officer Louis Failla transported to Valley Hospital Tuesday after being involved in a car accident in the municipal building parking lot.

A Fair Lawn police officer was injured Tuesday when a resident backed into his unmarked police car while vacating her parking space in the municipal building lot, police said.

Officer Louis Failla was headed out of the lot around 11:55 a.m., when the operator of a green Honda backed into his car's rear driver's side door and quarter panel, jolting him side to side, Sgt. Brian Metzler said.

Metzler said the car's driver, 63-year-old resident Brigida Caruso, likely pannicked after hitting Failla's car and — in an attempt to slam on her brakes —accidentally stepped on the gas instead. In the process of accelerating backward, the Honda pushed Failla's police car out of the way and continued in reverse until it collided with a tree on the opposite side of the parking lot, Metzler said.

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Failla, who complained of neck and back pain after the accident, was strapped to a backboard and transported to Valley Hospital, Metzler said. Police did not know the severity of his injuries Wednesday, but confirmed that he had been released from the hospital.

It's unclear whether Failla will end up missing any time on disability leave, but he missed work Wednesday and intends to seek additional medical attention for his injuries, police said. 

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The unmarked car Failla was driving sustained damage to its rear driver's side door, fender, wheel and bumper in the accident, but remained in service following an inspection at the borough's garage, police said. 

While Caruso was not injured in the accident, police said her car sustained significant rear end damage. Officers did not know Wednesday whether she had been issued a summons because the traffic accident report had yet to be filed.

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