A 16-year-old New Jersey driver allegedly lost control of an SUV and struck a group of teenagers walking along a sidewalk, leaving at least one victim pinned beneath the vehicle.
The students, who ranged in age from 14 to 16, were walking along East Gibbsboro Road near Lindenwold High School when the crash happened at about 2:11 p.m., according to Lindenwold police. The collision occurred outside an apartment complex.
Investigators say the teen was behind the wheel of a silver Cadillac Escalade when the SUV abruptly veered from the roadway, crossed the curb and continued onto the sidewalk.
Surveillance footage obtained by NJ.com appears to show the vehicle striking roughly six teenagers as they walked together.
The impact sent the SUV across the sidewalk, where it narrowly missed a utility pole before slamming into a metal fence.
One teenager was discovered trapped beneath the front end of the SUV and was airlifted to a hospital for medical care.
The five other injured students were taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals. Their specific conditions were not released.
Authorities said all six victims were expected to recover, and no deaths had been reported.
The crash took place near Lindenwold High School, outside an apartment complex and close to a grocery store.
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Dennis Woodley, who works at the nearby grocery store, had just completed his shift when he heard the collision and rushed outside to help the injured students.
“Soon as I clocked out, I heard the crash happen so I ran immediately to the crash. Because they said it was high school kids,” Woodley told Fox29.
“I seen the girl that was lying on the sidewalk. Her leg was pinned under the tire. After that, I heard a voice saying ‘Help,’ but it was a little faint and then I went outside of the fence and I seen a kid under the front bumper.”
Woodley said the teenage driver tried to leave the scene, but he and a co-worker—who had helped remove the teen from the SUV—stopped him. Police have not verified that account.
“I restrained him, I put him in a full Nelson, I said you’re under citizen’s arrest, and you’re not leaving until the police get here,” Woodley said.
Officers detained the driver and an unidentified passenger at the crash site.
The teen driver has been charged with one count of second-degree aggravated assault, six counts of third-degree aggravated assault and one count of joyriding.
Police said he was held at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center.
Lindenwold school district Superintendent Kristin P. O’Neil described Tuesday’s incident as an “accident.”
“Today, I hope we all hug our children a little longer and take a moment to share a kind thought, prayer, or expression of support for the children who are recovering and for the families, friends, and loved ones who are caring for them,” O’Neil wrote in a message to the school community, according to NJ.com.
