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Route 23, NJ

Wayne Motorcyclist, 37, Killed In Route 23 Crash: Morris County Prosecutor Wayne Motorcyclist, 37, Killed In Route 23 Crash: Morris County Prosecutor
Wayne Motorcyclist, 37, Killed In Route 23 Crash: Morris County Prosecutor A 37-year-old Wayne man was killed after his motorcycle collided with a truck on Route 23 in Morris County on Tuesday, April 16, authorities said. At 7:40 p.m., Mojtaba Kahn's motorcycle collided with the pickup truck at an intersection at Route 23 South and Alexander Avenue in Pequannock, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.  When first responders arrived on scene, Kahn was unconscious and not breathing and he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.  The driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene, the Morris…
Wild Wayne Police Chase Ends With Capture Of DWI Van Driver Wading Through Floodwaters Wild Wayne Police Chase Ends With Capture Of DWI Van Driver Wading Through Floodwaters
Wild Wayne Police Chase Ends With Capture Of DWI Van Driver Wading Through Floodwaters An intoxicated van driver who led Wayne police on a wild chase following the recent rainstorm claimed to be in Kinnelon when they reached him on his cellphone when he was actually trying to flee on foot through the floodwaters, authorities said. Office Trevor Costabile was conducting a motor vehicle stop on Cedar Place shortly before noon on Sunday, Jan. 14, when he spotted the GMC van “being operated in an erratic manner,” Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. The van burned rubber as the driver cut through the West Belt Plaza lot and raced south on Route 23, the captain said. Costabile activate…
Kids In Stolen Car Speed Wrong Way On Route 23, Two Nabbed After Intense Hunt Off Routes 80, 46 Kids In Stolen Car Speed Wrong Way On Route 23, Two Nabbed After Intense Hunt Off Routes 80, 46
Kids In Stolen Car Speed Wrong Way On Route 23, Two Nabbed After Intense Hunt Off Routes 80, 46 Two boys – one 16, the other 14 -- were captured following a stolen car pursuit in which the driver at one point perilously sped south on northbound Route 23, authorities said. Four masked thieves in all were pulling on vehicle door handles when police pulled up in response to a call on Oak Hill Drive in Wayne shortly before 5:30 a.m., Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. The crew also tried to break into a home through the back, the captain said. Officer David Talerico spotted an occupied vehicle with a smashed backseat passenger window and no rear license plate on nearby Timberline Drive, Daly…
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 80 Crash Motorcyclist Killed In Route 80 Crash
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 80 Crash A 24-year-old Bronx man was killed when he crashed his motorcycle while exiting onto eastbound Route 80 from southbound Route 23 in Wayne, authorities said. Emmanuel Alvarado was ejected from his 2005 Honda CBR 600 when it left the roadway and struck a guard rail shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, July 23, Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff said. First responding police officers, members of the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad and paramedics from St. Joseph's University Medical Center attempted but failed to revive Alvarado, who wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. He was pronounced dead at the sce…
Addicted Hooker, Longtime Guy Pal Rob Drug Buyer Lured To Route 23 Motel: Wayne PD Addicted Hooker, Longtime Guy Pal Rob Drug Buyer Lured To Route 23 Motel: Wayne PD
Addicted Hooker, Longtime Guy Pal Rob Drug Buyer Lured To Route 23 Motel: Wayne PD A convicted hooker with a heart of coal and her longtime running mate were both captured after authorities said they lured a man to a Wayne motel and then robbed him at gunpoint. It wasn’t much of a surprise to police who flushed Katherine Berg, 34, of Paterson, and Emin Goroveci, 37, of Succasunna from the woods behind the Wayne Inn that they were the ones who concocted the setup, given their drug-related, violent histories. Three years ago, the pair robbed a Leonia man whom Berg met online of several valuables – including his car -- after she slipped the victim a mickey that knocked him u…
Rider, 69, Airlifted After Falling From Horse In West Milford Rider, 69, Airlifted After Falling From Horse In West Milford
Rider, 69, Airlifted After Falling From Horse In West Milford A 69-year-old rider from Hawthorne was airlifted to the hospital after falling off a horse in West Milford, authorities said. The victim was conscious but disoriented and had several small cuts on his face following the mishap at the Echo Lake Stables on Blakely Lane, off Route 23, shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3, Police Detective Sgt. Matthew Kloo said. West Milford First Aid and Atlantic Medics tended to the victim before bringing him to a nearby field, the sergeant said. West Milford firefighters secured the landing zone for AirMed One, which transported him to Hackensack Univers…
Running On Empty: High-Speed Route 46 Pursuit Ends With Gasless Long Island Driver In Custody Running On Empty: High-Speed Route 46 Pursuit Ends With Gasless Long Island Driver In Custody
Running On Empty: High-Speed Route 46 Pursuit Ends With Gasless Long Island Driver In Custody A driver from Long Island who led police from several towns on a high-speed pursuit on and off Route 46 was seized after he ran out of gas, authorities said. Jessy Sainteloi, 25, of Uniondale was reportedly weaving in and out of traffic at high speed on the westbound highway in an Acura ILX when Little Falls Police Officer Matt Yannuzzi tried to pull him over Thursday night, April 27. The vehicle had no rear license plate and a temporary registration taped to the rear window, Sgt. Ryan J. Hoyt said. Sainteloi tried to shake the officer by cutting across the Routes 23/80 stretch of the spa…
Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff
Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff A dealer from Woodland Park was nabbed with nearly a quarter pound of cocaine, a dozen bundles of heroin and more after detectives watched him in action, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. The sheriff's narcotics detectives stopped Edwin Olmedo, 34, as he drove on Route 23 in Wayne mid-afternoon Friday, April 21. Warranted searches turned up nearly four ounces of coke, the bundles of heroin, Xanax and Oxycodone pills and $1,391 in suspected drug cash, the sheriff said on Saturday. The detectives also arrested two Little Falls men whom Berdnik said Olmedo was seen selling to in se…
THAT'S ALL, FOLKS: Threat From Largest North Jersey Wildfire In 13 Years Is Over, Officials Say THAT'S ALL, FOLKS: Threat From Largest North Jersey Wildfire In 13 Years Is Over, Officials Say
That'S ALL, Folks: Threat From Largest North Jersey Wildfire In 13 Years Is Over, Officials Say THE WORST IS OVER: The wildfire that marched through West Milford the past three days is 100% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on Saturday. The blaze, which was beaten back at first but then grew steadily over the previous 48 hours, finally topped out at 972 acres on April 15 – and that was it, the service said. Fire officials also said this would be the last of the updates from the “Kanouse Wildfire," the largest blaze in North Jersey since 2010. Ten structures in all were threatened – half of which were evacuated – yet none were seriously damaged thanks to the supp…
IN CONTROL: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say IN CONTROL: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say
IN Control: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say UPDATE: The wildfire that marched through West Milford the past three days is 100% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on Saturday. The blaze, which was beaten back at first but then grew steadily over the previous 48 hours, finally topped out at 972 acres on April 15 – and that was it, the service said. Fire officials also said this would be the last of the updates from the “Kanouse Wildfire," the largest blaze in North Jersey since 2010. Ten structures in all were threatened – half of which were evacuated – yet none were seriously damaged thanks to the support of fire…
FINITO: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Over, Officials Say FINITO: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Over, Officials Say
Finito: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Over, Officials Say The worst is over: The wildfire that marched through West Milford the past three days is 100% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on Saturday. The blaze, which was beaten back at first but then grew steadily over the previous 48 hours, finally topped out at 972 acres on April 15 – and that was it, the service said. Fire officials also said this would be the last of the updates from the “Kanouse Wildfire," the largest blaze in North Jersey since 2010. Ten structures in all were threatened – half of which were evacuated – yet none were seriously damaged thanks to the supp…
Speeding Route 23 Jeep Flies Into Driver's Side Of Wayne Officer's Police Cruiser: Authorities Speeding Route 23 Jeep Flies Into Driver's Side Of Wayne Officer's Police Cruiser: Authorities
Speeding Route 23 Jeep Flies Into Driver's Side Of Wayne Officer's Police Cruiser: Authorities A Wayne police officer amazingly survived without serious injuries after an out-of-control Jeep skidded off Route 23, went airborne and crashed into her cruiser, authorities said. Officer Kimberly Fryer was taken by the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad to Chilton Hospital for treatment following the crash in the Wayne Acura parking lot on the southbound highway shortly after 11 p.m. last Friday, March 3. She was released the same night, Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. Harry Berkshire III, 33 of Pompton Plains – who Daly said has an “extensive” history of moving violations -- refused treatmen…
Recently Freed Crackhead Ex-Con Tries Robbing Route 23 Pump Jockey At Knifepoint: Wayne PD Recently Freed Crackhead Ex-Con Tries Robbing Route 23 Pump Jockey At Knifepoint: Wayne PD
Recently Freed Crackhead Ex-Con Tries Robbing Route 23 Pump Jockey At Knifepoint: Wayne PD A crackhead ex-con who’d been released from state prison last year had just filled the tank of his pickup truck when he pulled a knife on a Wayne gas station attendant, authorities said. The worker refused to hand over any money and the driver fled, they said. It wasn’t tough for detectives to identify Michael Zita, 37, of Oak Ridge, Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. Zita had a violent history. He'd served 4½ years for robbery, as well as burglary, following a trio of incidents in Morris and Passaic counties in 2015, records show. The investigators kept Zita under surveillance for awhile bef…
WILD CHASE: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles On Route 46 WILD CHASE: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles On Route 46
Wild Chase: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles On Route 46 Three carjackers were captured following a wild chase in which they rammed a Wayne police cruiser and several civilian vehicles on Route 46, authorities said. It began shortly after Montville police issued an alert for two vehicles, one of which had just been taken by thieves in ski masks, shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. A short time later, the masked bandits approached a Porsche at the Starbucks on Route 23 just south of the "spaghetti bowl" intersection in Wayne near Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. They abandoned their attempt after discovering it occupied,…
UPDATE: Passaic County High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student UPDATE: Passaic County High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student
Update: Passaic County High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student Two former Passaic County high school classmates were killed in a horrific crash involving a fellow student, authorities said. Shahriyar Ahmed and Shakeel Ali, both 19 of Paterson, were killed in the collision in front of Gaita Memorial Funeral Home on Newark Pompton (Route 23) in Little Falls shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday. Both were passengers in a Mercedes C300 sedan with three other people that was T-boned by a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Jason Zaitoun, 18, of Wayne, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Deputy Chief Brian Prall said Saturday. The impact knocked the Merce…
Coffee Shop Manager Moonlighting As Food Runner Charged With Leading NJ Child Porn Ring Coffee Shop Manager Moonlighting As Food Runner Charged With Leading NJ Child Porn Ring
Coffee Shop Manager Moonlighting As Food Runner Charged With Leading NJ Child Porn Ring A Route 23 donut shop manager who moonlights as a food runner for a Route 46 Tex-Mex restaurant was also leading a child porn trafficking network, authorities charged. Imad Uddin, 24, of Paterson shared child sex abuse videos on Facebook Messenger, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. Videos shared by Uddin depict making children ranging from two to 12 years old "engaged in sexual acts," Berdnik said in a joint news release with Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes. Members of his sheriff’s Internet Crime Against Children Task Force arrested Uddin, a Bangladeshi immigrant, a…
NJ State Police ID Man Hospitalized After Bailing Out Of Moving Vehicle On Rt 287 NJ State Police ID Man Hospitalized After Bailing Out Of Moving Vehicle On Rt 287
NJ State Police ID Man Hospitalized After Bailing Out Of Moving Vehicle On Rt 287 UPDATE: New Jersey State Police identified a man who was seriously injured when he bailed from a moving vehicle on busy Route 287. Passenger David Chavez, 27, of Livingston "exited" a Kenworth tractor pulling a flatbed trailer as it headed south on the highway in Riverdale shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. Chavez's father, who was driving, told responders that his son "just opened the door out of nowhere" and pitched onto the highway's southbound side in Riverdale, one said. "Luckily he wasn't struck by anyone," a responder s…
Crash Seriously Injures Driver, 64, Outside Her West Milford Home Crash Seriously Injures Driver, 64, Outside Her West Milford Home
Crash Seriously Injures Driver, 64, Outside Her West Milford Home A West Milford driver was seriously injured when her sedan collided with a van right outside her home, authorities said. Yolanda Tineo, 64, was taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center after her 2011 Honda Accord collided with a 2020 GMC Savana on a stretch of Germantown Road north of Route 23 shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, they said. The other driver, Nicholas Kovatch, 28, of Hewitt wasn’t injured, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and West Milford Police Chief James DeVore said in a joint release. They asked that anyone who might have witnessed the crash or…
West Milford Crash Kills Driver West Milford Crash Kills Driver
West Milford Crash Kills Driver A 58-year-old driver was killed in an afternoon crash in West Milford, authorities confirmed. The late victim was driving a 2007 Ford Escape that collided with a 2019 Chevy Silverado on Germantown Road north of Route 23 shortly before 1 p.m. Monday, March 21, they said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and West Milford Police Chief James DeVore said in a joint release. The 51-year-old male driver of the Silverado was taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, they said. …
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection UPDATE: Police were justified in shooting a fleeing motorist when he pointed a gun at them at a convergence of highways in Wayne, a state grand jury has found. Bradley G. Pullman, 48, of Queens is seen on dashcam video pointing the gun out of his Lexus sedan following a high-speed chase that ended at the “spaghetti bowl” intersection of Route 46, 23 and 80 near the Willowbrook Mall. The video was among the evidence reviewed by the grand jury, along with witness testimony, reports and autopsy results, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Grand jury reviews are mandated …
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection UPDATE: Police were justified in shooting a fleeing motorist when he pointed a gun at them at a convergence of highways in Wayne, a state grand jury has found. Bradley G. Pullman, 48, of Queens is seen on dashcam video pointing the gun out of his Lexus sedan following a high-speed chase that ended at the “spaghetti bowl” intersection of Route 46, 23 and 80 near the Willowbrook Mall. The video was among the evidence reviewed by the grand jury, along with witness testimony, reports and autopsy results, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Grand jury reviews are mandated p…
Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him
Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him UPDATE: A Riverdale police officer was justified in shooting a fleeing suspect who slammed a vehicle into his patrol car, pinning him, following a pursuit that ended in Passaic County, a grand jury has found. Officer Andrew Duffy had tried to stop Michael Rivera, 32, of Newark, who "jumped into a vehicle and started it" following a shoplifting at the Home Depot on northbound Route 23 the morning of Jan. 23, 2020, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. Duffy tried but couldn't get the keys out of the ignition, then fell back as the Acura SUV sped off, he said. "Pol…
Support Surges For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad, Air Force Vet Killed Crossing Route 23 Support Surges For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad, Air Force Vet Killed Crossing Route 23
Support Surges For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad, Air Force Vet Killed Crossing Route 23 Support is skyrocketing for the family of a beloved Sussex County father and Air Force veteran who was hit and killed by a car while crossing Route 23 on Monday. Robert Lee “Bobby” Baker, 57, was fatally struck while crossing the road in front of Granny's Pancake House & Grill in Hamburg around 6:15 a.m., NJHerald reports citing Police Lt. Jason Tangorra. Baker, a lifelong Sussex County resident and beloved father, brother and uncle, graduated from Sussex Tech in 1982 before enlisting in the United States Air Force, according to a GoFundMe started for his memorial expenses. Baker was r…
Drugged Driver Takes Plea In Route 23 Gas Station Crash That Killed Dad, Teenage Son, Attendant Drugged Driver Takes Plea In Route 23 Gas Station Crash That Killed Dad, Teenage Son, Attendant
Drugged Driver Takes Plea In Route 23 Gas Station Crash That Killed Dad, Teenage Son, Attendant UPDATE: A drug-addicted Sussex County driver who killed a father, son and gas station attendant in a horrific crash on Route 23 in Wayne two years ago will be sentenced to a minimum of 25½ years without parole after pleading guilty Friday to three counts of aggravated manslaughter, authorities said. Jason Vanderee, 29, told a state judge in Paterson that he’d used heroin and fentanyl in combination with other drugs when he blacked out behind the wheel on Feb. 19, 2019. Jon Warbeck, a former Carlstadt firefighter from Fair Lawn and his 17-year-old son, Luke, of Lincoln Park, had stopped for…
Accused Accomplice Charged In Shooting Outside Mother's In Wayne Accused Accomplice Charged In Shooting Outside Mother's In Wayne
Accused Accomplice Charged In Shooting Outside Mother's In Wayne A parolee accused of firing a gun at three people outside Mother’s Ale House in Wayne last month had help, authorities said. Ex-con Errol Heber, 36, of Passaic “was identified as an accomplice to the shooting,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a joint announcement Wednesday with Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff and East Rutherford Police Chief Dennis M. Rivelli. The trio didn’t elaborate on Heber’s alleged role. They did shed some light, however, on how the accused gunman, 33-year-old parolee Robert Jackson of South Hackensack, was charged. No one was struck when gunf…
Motorcyclist, 50, From Essex Killed In Route 23 Crash Motorcyclist, 50, From Essex Killed In Route 23 Crash
Motorcyclist, 50, From Essex Killed In Route 23 Crash UPDATE: A tractor-trailer driver from Caldwell was killed in a crash while riding his motorcycle Friday night on Route 23 in Wayne, authorities confirmed. Serge Lozowsky, 50, was operating a 2020 Harley Davidson that crashed into the sidewalk outside the Reloaderz NJ shooting range on the southbound highway just past the entrance ramp from Black Oak Ridge Road shortly before 9:30 p.m. Lozowsky, a Russian immigrant who worked for more than a decade for Landstar System Inc., was pronounced dead at the scene about 40 minutes later, Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Chief Jack McNi…
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 23 Crash Motorcyclist Killed In Route 23 Crash
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 23 Crash A tractor-trailer driver from Caldwell was killed in a crash while riding his motorcycle Friday night on Route 23 in Wayne, authorities confirmed. Serge Lozowsky, 50, was operating a 2020 Harley Davidson that crashed into the sidewalk outside the Reloaderz NJ shooting range on the southbound highway just past the entrance ramp from Black Oak Ridge Road shortly before 9:30 p.m., they said. Lozowsky, a Russian immigrant who worked for more than a decade for Landstar System Inc., was pronounced dead at the scene about 40 minutes later, Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Chief Jack M…
SEE ANYTHING? Detectives Investigate Shots Fired Outside Mother's In Wayne SEE ANYTHING? Detectives Investigate Shots Fired Outside Mother's In Wayne
SEE Anything? Detectives Investigate Shots Fired Outside Mother's In Wayne Gunshots brought Wayne police and other law enforcement officers to Mother's Ale House before dawn Sunday, but no victims or shooters were found, authorities said. Four shots were confirmed off Mountainview Boulevard, in the shadow of northbound Route 23, shortly after 2 a.m., Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff said. “Upon arrival the police located a possible crime scene but were unable to locate a victim,” they said in a joint release. Valdes and McNiff didn’t address a report that the popular nightspot was sheltered in place or that a red pi…
WILD CHASE: NJ State Police Cruiser Rammed Twice In Multi-Town Pursuit WILD CHASE: NJ State Police Cruiser Rammed Twice In Multi-Town Pursuit
Wild Chase: NJ State Police Cruiser Rammed Twice In Multi-Town Pursuit A New Jersey State Police cruiser was struck twice during a wild pursuit that began on Route 80 and ended on a quiet suburban street, authorities said. The cruiser was one of three NJSP vehicles in all that were damaged by a stolen van whose two occupants – a man and woman -- bailed out and fled following a nearly half-hour chase, they said. It began when a trooper tried to stop the speeding white Ford Econoline on westbound Route 80 in Woodland Park shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday, NJSP Trooper Charles Marchan said. The driver exited the interstate onto the Route 23 service road in Wayne,…
Police: Prostitute, Accomplices Nabbed After Robbing John With Shotgun, Bat At Wayne Hotel Police: Prostitute, Accomplices Nabbed After Robbing John With Shotgun, Bat At Wayne Hotel
Police: Prostitute, Accomplices Nabbed After Robbing John With Shotgun, Bat At Wayne Hotel A would-be customer who thought he was patronizing a prostitute at a Wayne motel got robbed, instead, after the hooker let in a pair of armed companions – all of whom were later caught, authorities said. The victim told police he’d met a woman at the Days Inn on Route 23 “for the purpose of paying her for sex,” Detective Capt. Dan Daly said Tuesday. Soon after she arrived, there was a knock at the door, he said. The woman opened the door and let in another woman, who was carrying a bag, and a man who was carrying a guitar case, the victim told police. Both were wearing hoods and masks, he…
Truck Tire Explosion ‘Sends Rubber Flying’ Into Fire Engine As Crews Douse Route 287 Blaze Truck Tire Explosion ‘Sends Rubber Flying’ Into Fire Engine As Crews Douse Route 287 Blaze
Truck Tire Explosion ‘Sends Rubber Flying’ Into Fire Engine As Crews Douse Route 287 Blaze The back tire of a smoldering truck exploded and hit the responding fire crew’s vehicle on Route 287 in Morris County, authorities said. The Riverdale Fire Department’s incident commander had just arrived at the scene of the blaze in the northbound lanes between Route 23 and the Hamburg Turnpike when one of the smoldering truck’s back tires exploded and “[sent] rubber flying into the side of his vehicle” just after 4:05 p.m. Sunday, the department confirmed on Facebook Thursday. The driver and other on-scene officers were uninjured, as they were not in the “hazard area,” the department said…