For Immediate Release:
December 13, 2023

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of a Bergen County JUVENILE on a charge of assault by auto. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love and the Closter Police Department under the direction of Chief John McTigue.

On Friday, December 1, 2023, at approximately 6:23 p.m., the Closter Police Department received a 911 call reporting a motor vehicle accident involving a Tesla Model X in the area of Durie Avenue in Closter, NJ. Responding officers found that the Tesla had run off the road and struck a tree. The vehicle was operated by a juvenile and contained four additional juvenile passengers. The four passengers in the vehicle were transported to area hospitals, and three of the passengers suffered serious bodily injuries. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Closter Police Department revealed that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed just prior to the crash.

As a result of the investigation, the JUVENILE driver was charged with three counts of fourth-degree assault by auto resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c(1). The JUVENILE was released into the custody of a guardian and is scheduled for a first appearance in the Chancery Division, Family Court, in Hackensack, NJ.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the JUVENILE is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Closter Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.