ELIZABETH — A man who police say carjacked a vehicle in the city picked the wrong escape route from his initial crime and ended up in even more trouble after driving through an active accident investigation.

Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said the incident happened on Saturday afternoon when first responders were on the scene of an accident  near North Avenue between Newark and Pennsylvania Avenues. Park said around the same time the driver of an SUV was carjacked and robbed at gunpoint by 30-year-old city resident Nelson Valentin.

After taking the SUV Park said Valentin tried unsuccessfully to drive around the accident scene, including driving on the sidewalk. Park said after a short time on the side of the road Valentin reversed course and crashed into an Elizabeth Police Department vehicle. Valentin then went forward again, nearly hitting others who had responded to the scene.

In an effort to stop Valentin, Park said an officer at the scene shot at the SUV, hitting the vehicle but not Valentin. After being shot at Park said Valentin hit one more car before his vehicle was disabled.

Valentin was arrested and charged with second-degree causing widespread damage and injury, second-degree aggravated assault, and third-degree aggravated assault on a police officer. The officer whose car was hit by Valentin was treated for injuries at a local hospital and released according to Park.

The incident is being investigated by the Prosecutor's Office's Shooting Response Team along with the Union County Sheriff's Office and the Union County Police Department. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Sgt. Andrew Dellaquila at 908-274-5771.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com

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