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Ellen Sleeter
Citizen
Username: Ellen
Post Number: 18
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 11:45 pm: |     |
Who knows about this? I was feeling like I had a TARGET on the back of my spiffy blue Mazda3 --
Here's what I observed. And who knows the story?
----
Tonight at ca. 6pm, I was headed to McCarter Theatre in Princeton. Live near Tuscan school, and headed toward the GSP, was waiting on Prospect at the light at Springfield Avenue. 3 car, and no one behind me.
See cop turn left onto Prospect from East-bound Springfield, turns his flashers on as he passes me. He disappears in my rear view mirror, but, IN NO TIME, while the light is still red, a black sedan comes steaming toward my rear, followed by 3 M'wd police cruisers. Car being chased speeds past me on the left (in oncoming traffic lane), and steams through the red light, crosdsing Speingfield, followed by cruisers. By the time the light turns green a 4th cruiser comes up behind me and crosses the Avenue.
Unfortunately, I'm going in the same direction as the chase, and the south section of Prospect is not very wide. 5th cruiser and Maplewood Jeep pass me on South Prospect. Get to the light at Burnett and Laurel (?) -- those two new lights and tricky intersections at Laurel/Burnett and Stanley terrace/Burnett. Now a Union County paddy wagon and unmarked car with sirens and lights displace me, turning the corner, and lastly, a 7th M'wd cruiser, which finds an intersting way to turn left on Stanley Terr at that new light.
Darn -- that was the road I was planning to take, so I decided to go down Burnett to Vauxhall. However, from a distance I can see that Vauxhall is blocked by emergency vehicles, so I duck onto 78-east, and get to the GSP.
All this time, I am glued to my rearview mirror and saying ohmagawd, ohmagawd, [repeat until gasping for breath]
Great show! Extra performance added for a new work by Christopher Durang: Miss Witherspoon. Moves next to Playwrights' Horizons
Homeward bound. On way to turnpike, a cop from West Windsor twp stopped someone right in front of me on the 133 bypass for something. More sirens and flashers. There seem to be crazies everywhere. Same with the Tpk and GSP.
Get off at Exit 139B in Union, as always. But Stuyvesant Ave is closed, with police barricades, and I have to take a detour. Get back on Stuvesant in Union Center, and Southbound traffic is blocked at Morris Avenue intersection. Looking behind in rear view mirror and there are MORE barricades, flashing lights on Stuyvesant.
This is a full 4 hours later.
Anyone know what occasioned this high speed chase at ca. 6:10p? Seems like it must have resulted in some crack-up, or stand-off, in Union Center.
Spooky. Especially the site of that getaway car speeding toward me in the rear view mirror.
Sleepless on Sommer... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5570
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 6:41 am: | |
Actually, I was standing in my neighbors yard on Elmwood at 6p last night. Those were not all MPD. They flew by us, in a major high speed chase.
No one crossing Elmwood or backing out of their driveway would have stood a chance, sirens notwithstanding. They were going highway speeds.
Involved were: MPD, Orange, East Orange, Essex Country Sherrif & Irvington. Irvington cops definitely need more $$$; his engine was burning up & he had a hard time keeping pace.
I sure hope that they caught the guy; enough lives were put in danger. I haven't seen anything on the news about this.
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Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 2715
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 6:48 am: | |
This is strange because I was coming from Route 22 yesterday about the same time. I got off Morris Ave and headed down to the Walgreens and CVS. Couldn't find what I needed.
I headed down Morris Ave. toward Millburn. As I got closer to Union Center, I could see police cruisers blocking off Stuyvesant to my left by the movie thrater. The next three streets on my left were also blocked off.
I ran into 7-11 then headed down Millburn Ave. As I got to where the road becomes two way a Millburn police cruiser and fire truck come flying by. Wonder if this was all related? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 10105
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 7:14 am: | |
Many years ago, I heard that the NYC police had a rule not to have high speed chases, because losing the bad guy is not as bad as endangering the lives of uninvolved people. That sounds both sensible and innovative. Are we just behind the times here, or are such chases less dangerous here?
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r2boy
Supporter
Username: R2boy
Post Number: 240
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 7:38 am: | |
We were also curious about all the sirens and police cars.There were so many speeding east on Boyden Ave and then 5 minutes later they were back heading west on Boyden..Anybody know what happened? |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 9532
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 7:39 am: | |
Some of the police activity might have been weather related. A lot of trees came down with the wind after the monsoon saturated the ground. I hear on the radio this morning that a portion of Stuyvesant was closed because of a downed tree. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5573
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 8:25 am: | |
Bob - not this. Unless the guy in the first car was carrying a chain saw to cut up fallen trees & the cops were trying to catch up because he forgot gas. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 9534
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 8:46 am: | |
Greentree, I was talking about the stuff in Union, especially on Stuyvesant, which was on the news this morning. |
Old and Gray
Citizen
Username: Pastmyprime
Post Number: 234
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 9:01 pm: | |
Chasing criminals is part of stopping criminals...I agree with you that, If the danger outweighs the crime that it is sensible to cut their looses(ie: chasing a stolen car when that car is insured or chasing a person who stole a dvd at a store)...However, I hope you see that chasing a real criminal (car jackers, armed robbers, burglars) is sometimes necessary, and if you stop that; you are giving the green light to any criminal who can get back to his car in time to get up to a dangerous speed.
There has to be a balance on what is necessary and responsible in crime response, but giving in altogether just doesn't cut it. I don't consider it at all an option. |
Ellen Sleeter
Citizen
Username: Ellen
Post Number: 19
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 10:39 pm: | |
Information gleaned from Maplewood's finest tonight:
[there's always a plug when I post  ]
I went to the terrific talk by Scott Ritter sponsored by South Mountain Peace Action at the Women's Club tonight. Got there early, as I was a designated "worker". Maplewood officer in cruiser with a second officer, on duty for the evening, chatting in the parking lot.
I opened with some levity about Maplewood Online. Then just asked, directly, what WAS happening on Boyden, Elmwood, Prospect, and into Union last night ca. 6pm?
Cops said, jovially, that what they "heard" was:
1. [unspecified] police action originated in East Orange, and involved police of East Orange, Maplewood, Essex County Sherrif. Didn't mention Irvington, but perhaps that smoking car died before it got to Springfield Avenue, 'cuz I did not see an Irvington patrol car...
2. chase ended in Hillside. Suspect got away, but car was recovered. Hmmm. Was car stolen? I forgot to ask, but I wonder why else the offier would have mentioned that car was recovered.
3. I asked -- and the barricodes and street closings in Union? related to flooding, or related to this action?
4. He said that there were some crackups... Plural. And that was as specific as he would be.
I haven't seen anything about it in the Star Ledger online, and I don't buy the paper.
I wonder about collateral damage, actually. Thinking about Greenetree's description of Elmwood Avenue. I was probably safer in my car, with 6 air bags, than on foot!} |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 2718
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 11:01 pm: | |
Ellen-
Thanks for posting this information. Guess we should see something in tomorrow's Ledger... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5596
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 8:05 am: | |
Maybe. I talked to one of the cops in the chase last night. See my rant on "More Cops" in Soapbox for details. |
mtierney
Citizen
Username: Mtierney
Post Number: 869
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 12:12 pm: | |
For the second time in four months, a friend of ours had his headlights taken off his car which was parked in front of CHS! This was around 4 p.m. yesterday. Cops say this kind of crime is rampant in town. |
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