A car crash in the westbound lanes of Route 4 in Teaneck on Friday night turned out to involve more than bent metal and broken glass. When officers arrived, they found three people at the scene, and one of them had a gunshot wound to the left hand.
Teaneck police received reports of the crash at 9:15 p.m., according to the Bergen Record. The injured person was taken to a hospital, where the wound was described as non-life-threatening, and remained hospitalized as of the report. The other two people found at the scene have not been described further.
The circumstances connecting the shooting to the crash have not been explained, and no information has been released about where exactly on Route 4 the collision happened or whether any lanes were closed. Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Jeff Angermeyer called the incident unusual and said he had no additional details to share at the time, per the same account.
A Joint Investigation Involving County and Sheriff's Resources
The case is now in the hands of more than just local police. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident alongside the Teaneck Police Department, with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office assisting.
Route 4 Has Seen Trouble in Teaneck Before
Friday's crash is not the first time this stretch of highway has made headlines. In September 2024, a wrong-way driver traveling east in the westbound lanes collided head-on with an SUV near River Road in Teaneck, injuring five people, according to nj.com. That driver, a 24-year-old New York man, was later charged with leaving the scene of an accident, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, motor-vehicle alteration, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property and assault by auto.
A month after that, in October 2024, another crash on Route 4 in Teaneck knocked down a utility pole and shut part of the highway, with the westbound lanes closed at Belle Avenue as of 8:42 a.m. that morning, dailyvoice.com reported. Injuries were reported in that crash as well, though no further details on those injuries were disclosed.
For now, Friday's incident remains an open question for investigators. No cause has been given for either the crash or the gunshot wound, and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has not released additional details beyond confirming that its Robbery-Homicide Division is involved. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
