Attorney General's Office releases more details surrounding Newark crash that killed 17-year-old
An unmarked police SUV was following the speeding sedan that struck and killed a 17-year-old girl at the intersection of Bloomfield and Mount Prospect avenues, according to the Attorney General's Office.
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New details released by the Attorney General's Office show that an unmarked police SUV was following a speeding sedan that struck and killed a 17-year-old girl on Aug. 9.
Newark Police Sgt. Xavier Pimentel was driving the unmarked SUV on Bloomfield Avenue around 9 p.m. that Sunday when he observed a sedan traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Pimentel made a U-turn near Parker Street and began following the sedan. The vehicle then struck the victim near the intersection of Bloomfield and Mount Prospect avenues before fleeing the scene.
The police sergeant pulled over to render aid to the teenage girl, who was pronounced dead at approximately 9:11 p.m., according to the Attorney General's Office.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka identified the victim as a 17-year-old girl in a statement released Wednesday, in which he pushed back against claims circulating on social media about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
"I also want to address misinformation that has been circulating on social media, including claims that this tragedy occurred as a result of Newark police pursuing a stolen vehicle," Baraka wrote. "That information is false. The vehicle was not stolen. The City of Newark also has a strict policy prohibiting vehicle pursuits except under limited circumstances involving serious offenses."
Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda released a similar statement Wednesday, saying that no police pursuit had been initiated at the time of the crash.
The victim's name has not been released because she was a minor.
According to Baraka, the driver who struck the teenager turned himself in to authorities and remains in custody.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the driver of the sedan, while the Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is investigating the circumstances surrounding the police encounter.
