Driver, 67, killed after Hackensack police cruiser slams into his car

A Hackensack police cruiser responding to the scene of a motorcycle accident Thursday ended up slamming into a car and killing its 67-year-old driver, authorities said.

The crash happened at about 2 p.m. when a marked Paramus police car attempted to pull over a motorcyclist for a traffic violation, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement late Thursday. The motorcyclist then sped away.

"The police unit began to pursue but broke off the pursuit on Route 4," the prosecutor said. "The motorcyclist was later involved in a collision at Spring Valley Avenue and Coles Street in Maywood."

Authorities say the motorcyclist, 31-year-old Salvatore Deangelis, of Harriman, N.Y., suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at Hackensack University Medical Center. He has been charged with eluding police.

A Hackensack patrol unit was dispatched to assist at the scene of the accident, but while en route to the area, became involved in a collision with a vehicle at Summit and Ross avenues in Hackensack.

The crash killed the driver, a resident of Hackensack, authorities said Thursday evening.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit is investigating the crash. Authorities say they will release additional details on Friday. The names of the officer and driver that was killed have not yet been released.

This is a developing story. We will post additional information as it becomes available.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.