Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the investigation of a single motor vehicle accident occurring during the early morning hours of June 7, 2016 which resulted in serious bodily injury to five occupants.
On Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at approximately 3:31 a.m., the Fort Lee Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls reporting a single vehicle MVA occurring at the entrance of the Best Western Hotel, 2300 Route 4 West in Fort Lee.
The Fort Lee Police located the 2000 Honda Accord with heavy front-end damage and five occupants requiring medical attention. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit (FAIU) was notified and conducted a joint investigation with the Fort Lee Police Department.
An unlicensed driver was determined to have been operating the vehicle at the time when he lost control and struck an island barrier at the front entrance of the Best Western.
The driver, a seventeen year old juvenile from New York City, and four passengers were meeting another group of friends at the hotel who had arrived just moments prior to the crash.
The driver and passengers were transported to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Two of the injured passengers remain in critical condition.
The driver has been charged with three counts of causing serious bodily injury while operating a motor vehicle while unlicensed.
Additional charges may be forthcoming pending further investigation.