Man holding 2 children dies jumping from Route 287 overpass, police say

WANAQUE — A father has died after jumping with his two children off the Route 287 overpass into a wooded area near the Wanaque River, police said Monday.

The two children suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to New Jersey State Police, who are continuing to investigate the incident.

According to state police, troopers at the Totowa station were contacted by the Pequannock Police Department at 8:08 p.m. regarding a possible suicide attempt. State troopers and local police were dispatched following a report that a man had possibly jumped into the Wanaque River with his two children.

A short time later, officers from the Wanaque Police Department located the man's vehicle on the southbound side of Route 287 at milepost 56.4, in Wanaque, authorities said.

Investigators determined that the father intentionally jumped from the overpass with his children, landing in a wooded area near the river. Police say the man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the two children, whose ages have not been disclosed, were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with injuries.

The father's name has not yet been released.

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