A Clifton police cruiser and an SUV involved in the theft crashed on Avon Avenue in Newark during the pursuit, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said.
The officer was OK, but the thieves evaded capture, he said.
It all happened in an instant.
The family was unloading groceries from their 2020 Hyundai Sonata at the corner of Grove Street and Robin Hood Road around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday when a black Dodge Durango pulled up.
Two thieves hopped out and sped off in the Sonata, followed by the trail vehicle, Bracken said.
Clifton police spotted and began chasing both vehicles on eastbound Route 3.
The pursuit ended in Newark with the Durango crashing and the occupants bailing.
The Sonata was later recovered in Irvington, Bracken said.
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