Home robbery led to crash in Glen Ridge, NJ that left 2 dead, 1 injured

GLEN RIDGE — The Attorney General's Office said Montclair police attempted to stop a car Tuesday morning before it went off the road and hit a tree, killing two passengers.

Officers in a marked vehicle with its lights on followed the vehicle on Bloomfield Avenue into Glen Ridge at around 4:30 a.m. in connection with a "criminal investigation," according to officials.

The driver of the silver Hyundai did not stop for the officers and went off Bloomfield Avenue into a wooded area at the intersection with Ridgewood Avenue.

A third person in the Hyundai remained hospitalized on Wednesday.

Robbery of a home in Montclair

An unnamed law enforcement source told NBC 4 New York that an armed robbery at a house on Carey Court in Montclair may have led to the crash. The residents reported the burglary to police.

The source told NBC 4 New York a large amount of cash and a handgun were found in the heavily damaged Hyundai.

The Attorney General's Office is leading the investigation per a directive requiring the office to investigate any death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer while they are on duty or while the deceased is in custody.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Attorney General's Office initially reported that the driver and a passenger had died in the crash although it turned out that the two people who died had been passengers. This article has been updated to reflect that correction.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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