A witness captured the license plate of the fleeing vehicle and reported it to police, leading to the arrest of 61-year-old Peter Lee, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said Thursday.
Lee was driving recklessly when he struck the 28-year-old victim at 4:15 p.m. on County Road, Calo said interviews with witnesses and surveillance video shows.
Surveillance video from a local business shows another vehicle stopping as the white SUV comes careening around a corner and swerving onto the sidewalk.
The mid-sized SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a utility pole before striking the bicyclist, authorities said
"We believe the involved vehicle was traveling northbound on County Road, crossed over the double yellow lines, struck a utility pole and crashed into bicyclist on the sidewalk at the intersection of Mahan Street," Tenafly Police Capt. Michael deMoncada said at the time.
The SUV then continued north on County Road towards Cresskill, he said.
Another bicyclist riding with the victim wasn't injured, deMoncada said.
The SUV sustained substantial front-end damage, the captain said.
Lee was charged with charged with assault by auto and leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries following an investigation by detectives from the prosecutor's office and Tenafly police, Calo said.
He was released pending a Nov. 28 first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, the prosecutor said.
The victim, meanwhile, was recovering from his injuries, he said.
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