Driver punches firefighters after crashing into NJ house, cops say

PATERSON — The driver of a car that crashed through the front of a house late Friday afternoon punched firefighters trying to get him out of the vehicle, according to police.

Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale told the North Jersey Record that four people were inside the house on the corner of Burlington and Totowa Avenues around 5:30 p.m. As firefighters worked on getting the driver out of the car, the man became "combative" and began to punch the firefighters including one in the eyebrow, Speziale told the Record.

Photos posted by RLS Metro Breaking News show the front of the home was heavily damaged by the impact of the crash and the front lawn torn up. The rear bumper was partially ripped off and the car needed to be supported by several poles until it could be removed.

Speziale and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office did not immediately return messages on Saturday.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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