A good Samaritan who just happened to glance into his rearview mirror at a truck that was accelerating at full speed out of the eastbound lanes and onto the ramp of I-280 in Newark narrowly missed being struck by the driver of a truck when the good Samaritan maneuvered out of the way of the erratic vehicle that caused a crash that included four cars on Sunday afternoon in Newark.
According to a statement released by NJ State Police Spokesman Trooper Charles Marchan, the incident happened at approximately 6:39 p.m. when the driver of a white Ford pickup truck struck a Ford car from the rear that was sitting at the bottom of the ramp.
Trooper Marchan said the impact of the crash caused a chain reaction that involved an Acura Sedan, Honda, and a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with the driver of the Honda suffering severe injuries.
The good Samaritan told RLS Metro Breaking News that he and several other drivers began to follow the suspect who sped towards Sussex Avenue then collided with a pole near the intersection of Newark and Warren streets where they boxed the driver in so that he wouldn't further flee the scene.
NJ State Police Trooper Marchan said Rutgers Police apprehended **Mr. Gustavo D. Palomo, 38, of East Newark (Hudson County)** where he was turned over by NJ State Police then officially charged with Leaving the Scene of a Crash, and Assault by Auto.
"There was one severely injured person who was taken to University Hospital for treatment, and all the other injuries were considered minor in nature," Trooper Marchan said.
State Trooper Marchan could not immediately confirm social media rumors that the severely injured driver of the Honda suffered fatally.
The suspect, Palomo, was detained at The Essex County Jail.
The incident remains under investigation.