(09/21/06) IRVINGTON ? Witnesses in Irvington say they were forced to run for cover during a police shootout at a busy intersection Thursday.

According to people at the scene, the incident involved state police chasing a driver who refused to stop at around noon. Witnesses say the bullets started flying after a car smashed into a police cruiser at Springfield and Clinton Avenue. One woman says she grabbed her sister-in-law and hit the floor. Many people are angry about the shooting, saying stray bullets could have hurt students from nearby Irvington High School.

The Attorney General?s office tells News 12 New Jersey the shooting took place after a driver fled from a traffic stop. They say the stopped vehicle backed up, smashed into one or two police cruisers and took off. According to the Attorney General?s office, one of the troopers fired a single shot at the fleeing vehicle. That driver is still on the loose.