“Both were wanted in connection with attempted auto theft in North Caldwell,” a law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the chase told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
The occupants of the white Nissan bailed out after pulling off at Exit 62 of the eastbound highway, he said.
“The car went zooming by before taking the exit,” one witness told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Totowa Police Officer Joseph Flynn grabbed one occupant almost immediately.
The other, wearing a red hoodie and blue pants, fled into Saddle River County Park.
Multiple agencies responded, including Elmwood Park police, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and a New Jersey State Police helicopter.
The search initially concentrated in a wooded area near the railroad tracks just off the highway.
Eventually, authorities pulled back and issued an alert.
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