Police have confirmed that an off-duty Union City police officer was killed in a crash on Route 3 in East Rutherford Saturday night.

The wreck happened just after 11 p.m.

Investigators say 44-year-old Mark Zeitounian was hit from behind, sparking a chain-reaction crash.

A total of four cars were involved in the crash, and five people were treated for minor injuries.

Zeitounian was heading to work at the Union City police station to start a shift. He had just left his home in Lyndhurst and was headed eastbound on Route 3.

Zeitounian was rushed to Hackensack Medical Center after the crash, where he died of his injuries. 

Police Chief Rich Molinari says Zeitounian was a field training officer who served as a mentor to the younger officers on the force.

Zeitounian leaves behind a wife and son.