Car Crash Snarls Traffic, Aids Capture of Fugitive

Two drivers were taken to the hospital late Monday afternoon with non-life threatening injuries after their cars collided at the intersection of River Road and Richard Street, in front of the American Legion building.

,  and all responded to the accident scene, which backed up traffic on River Road for about 45 minutes while the rescue squad extricated one of the drivers from her car and then lifted the damaged vehicle onto the bed of a tow truck.

While a nuisance to drivers, the resulting traffic jam aided Fair Lawn police in the capture of a fugitive who inadvertently drove his 2003 Maroon Chevrolet Impala right into the accident scene after fleeing Hawthorne police following a traffic stop.

Fair Lawn police at the accident scene spotted the Impala -- whose driver tried to avoid detection by passing through the nearby parking garage -- and eventually apprehended the fugitive on Lamring Road, police said. The man was held by police until officers from Hawthorne were able to arrive and take him into their custody.

Fair Lawn police said the car accident occurred when one of the drivers, described by police as a female in her 80s, tried to turn onto River Road from Richard Street and was hit by a man driving westbound on River Road.

There were no passengers in either car at the time of the accident and neither driver suffered serious injuries, police said. Both drivers, however, were transported to Valley Hospital -- the female, who was immobilized and taken out on a board complaining of neck pain, and the male complaining of knee pain.

The accident is still under investigation.

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Check back for more info on the arrest of the man who fled from Hawthorne as it becomes available.