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Boy, 16, Critically Injured In Washington Township Hit-Run Drug Ripoff, Driver Caught

UPDATE: A 16-year-old Washington Township boy hung onto a fleeing vehicle and was thrown, suffering severe injuries, in a drug ripoff, authorities confirmed Friday.

BCPO

BCPO

Photo Credit: Boyd A. Loving

The 17-year-old driver, also from the township, was quickly taken into custody following Monday night's incident, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said.

He was issued delinquency complaints accusing him of robbery, aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and assault by auto, the prosecutor said.

Calo didn't say whether his office will ask a judge to waive the 17-year-old up to be tried as an adult for essentially "using a motor vehicle as a weapon."

The assault apparently was recorded by another teen on cellphone video, a ranking law enforcement official told Daily Voice, adding that a group the driver was with had previous encounters with the victim.

The 16-year-old was selling drugs to the driver, who had no intention of paying, Calo said Friday.

The driver sped off in the vehicle, with the victim holding on until he eventually fell off, the prosecutor said.

He sustained facial and head trauma and a compound leg fracture and was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where Calo said he was in stable condition.

The prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit investigated, assisted by local police, and identified the driver, who was taken into custody.

An appearance in the Family Part of Superior Court, which is held privately, was scheduled.

The Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence.

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