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An officer stopped a Honda Accord driven by Joshua Ortiz, 26, on the eastbound highway shortly after 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Detective Sgt. Robert Anderson said.
Ortiz was asked to exit the vehicle after rolling down his window and providing documents, but he hit the gas instead and took off onto southbound Route 21, Anderson said.
Police chased him into Newark and through various city streets before Ortiz stopped the Accord near the intersection of McCarter Highway and Governor Street and threw it into reverse, deliberately hitting a cruiser, the sergeant said.
Other officers had him hemmed in, though, and Ortiz surrendered without further incident, Anderson said.
Police found a bag of pot in the car, took Ortiz into custody and sent him to the Passaic County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson.
Ortiz is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, eluding and marijuana possession. He also received several traffic summonses.
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ALSO SEE: A speeding driver under the influence of drugs and alcohol knocked another car onto a median on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, then rammed his sedan into a pursuing police vehicle on Route 9W in Alpine Monday night, authorities said.
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