file photo by Boyd Loving
August 29,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, On Sunday, August 27, 2017, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti, along with members of the Paramus Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Saudino, investigated a fatal motor vehicle collision in which two passengers of a 2001 Ford Mustang were ejected and killed as the car crashed along Route 4 East, into the Bergen Town Centre parking lot in Paramus, New Jersey.
Officers responded to the Bergen Town Centre parking lot on Sunday, August 27, 2017 at approximately 1:09 a.m., on multiple reports of a serious, roll-over, motor vehicle crash. There, officers found the heavily damaged Ford Mustang. All four occupants of the vehicle had been ejected and were found near the vehicle in the parking lot. One of the victims, a 19 year old female Garfield, New Jersey resident, was dead upon police arrival. The other three victims, two Garfield females, both of whom are believed to be in their early twenties; and a 23 year old Paterson male, were transported to Hackensack University Medical Center. After her arrival, one of the Garfield female victims succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. The other female remains hospitalized with serious injuries. The Paterson male was treated and released. At this time, the Prosecutor’s Office is not identifying the vehicle occupants, pending further investigation and notification of next of kin.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and no determination has yet been made relative to any potential criminal or motor vehicle charges. Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank members of the Paramus Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in this ongoing investigation.
I know many people will not agree with me but I’m tired of the headlines “teenager killed when ejected from the car”. Why not say 2 were saved by wearing their seatbelts? The driver should have refused to start the car until all were seat belted but they expect each person in the car to care for him/herself. (and when they are all drunk a sense of responsibility no longer exists.) The driver is always accused of killing the kids who fly out of the car because of lack of seatbelts when they well may have been saved if they had them on. I know the thought of accusing dead victims is horrendous BUT the driver is not totally responsible for their deaths. These “innocent” young people are also partly guilty. The driver was/and is usually totally in the wrong but these teens might not be dead if they had taken some responsibility for their own safety.
I am not sure how you concluded that these people weren’t wearing their seatbelts? It didn’t say that anywhere in the article. In fact, I am positive the investigation and the reconstruction of this accident hasn’t even been completed yet. If you are assuming that they weren’t wearing their seatbelts because they were ejected from the car, you might be incorrect. Chances are they were ejected because of the multiple rollovers. Seatbelt retractors can fail during multiple rollovers, and the slack from the initial impact could make enough space allowing the victim to slide out of the restraint. Also, due to the amount of damage the car received you can’t count out that many, if not all the pillars in which the seatbelts are mounted to contorted after the initial impact. If the mounts failed, or the pillar compressed, the belts would become useless. Seatbelt, airbags, and crumple zones make you safer…they don’t make you invincible. We both don’t know if they did or did not have their seatbelt on…. But I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the victims until more information is released.
That’s very sad.
Anon,
I am not sure how you concluded that these people weren’t wearing their seatbelts? That was not stated at all in the article. In fact, I’m sure the investigation hasn’t even been completed yet. From what I gathered, you are making the assumption that, because ALL the passengers were ejected (not just the rear passengers) that no one was wearing their seatbelts. However, that might not be the case. Seatbelts have fail in multiple rollovers for many reasons. Often time the retractor bar in the seatbelt can disengage due to the constant change in force as the car rotates. Also, there could be just enough slack in the belt allowing the victim to slide out of the restraint with the aid of the same forces that are causing the 3000lbs vehicle to rotate like it was nothing. Not to mention that this vehicle sustained massive damage that most likely effected some, if not all the pillars, which the seatbelts mount to. If the mounts fail, or if the pillar contort, the seatbelts become useless. Seatbelts, airbags, and crumple zones make us safer…but they don’t make us invincible. With that being said, we don’t know if they were belted or not… so I wouldn’t not be so quick to blame the victims, especially the two that passed, without knowing all the facts.
Thanks 3 pm…your a complete asshat. And your eating your words.
Uneducated dolts should not be allowed to post such complete drivel.
3 pm has apparently been removed, so we can do without 6:57.
I admit I do not know the complete details of this particular accident. But many, not all, of ejections turn out to be from unlatched seatbelts.
They can also be caused by equipment failure, car destruction, etc. I was just trying to plead with all riders, not only the front seat but the backseat also, to attach their seatbelts. Thanks for your very factual statement. It could be true in really destructive incidents such as this one was.