After a hit-and-run accident took the lives of two New Jersey residents, police investigators had little evidence with which to locate and apprehend the unknown driver. However, after some dedicated detective work and a little bit of luck, the police located and arrested the suspect a few days ago, hopefully providing some closure to the families of the crash victims.
The fatal accident took place last month on New Jersey’s Route 46. According to police reports, two men were struck by a speeding SUV, which then fled the scene. The force of the impact caused the men, ages 28 and 35, to suffer fatal injuries.
When police detectives arrived to investigate the crash, they were met with very little evidence. There were no surveillance cameras, no tire tracks and no eyewitnesses. All detectives had to go on was several small parts of the vehicle that had broken off at the time of the collision.
The investigating officers took those parts, some of which were as small as an inch, and meticulously worked to assemble them. After a few days, the pieces had come together to form part of a grille. The officers deduced that the vehicle that had been involved in the crash was a black Cadillac Escalade, and after narrowing down North Jersey residents that owned the specific model year, they went door-to-door searching Escalades for damage.
When the investigators found the vehicle in a body shop, the broken pieces reportedly fit right in. They arrested the owner of the vehicle and charged him with leaving an accident scene, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension.
If you have lost a loved one in a hit-and-run accident, please contact Breslin & Breslin to discuss your rights.
Source: The Record, “Cops use tiny clues to track down suspect in deadly Clifton hit-and-run,” Nick Clunn, April 7, 2012
