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Wild Ride: Driver Drags Police Officer, Strikes Pedestrian At Wawa In South Jersey

A 40-year-old Cumberland County took police on a wild pursuit that included dragging a police officer with his car and striking a pedestrian at a Wawa, authorities said.

Millville police

Millville police

Photo Credit: MILLVILE PD

The driver, Jacob D. Griffiths, 40, of Bridgeton, ultimately was charged with multiple counts of eluding, aggravated assault, obstruction and hindering apprehension, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.

The pursuit started on Bluebird Lane in Millville at about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 when an officer was investigating a report of a robbery in Vineland.

Griffiths sped off with a woman in the car, the prosecutor said, and Millville police joined the pursuit. Griffith ran a stop sign and forced police to cut off the chase due to high speeds, the prosecutor said.

Griffiths' car was later found in the parking lot of a Wawa on Route 47 in Dorchester. When Millville police tried to take Griffiths into custody, he reportedly drove off dragging a police officer a short distance, the prosecutor said. Griffiths then struck a pedestrian near the Wawa fuel pumps before fleeing the parking lot, the prosecutor said.

Griffiths was then involved in a crash at the intersection of Route 49 and Union Road in Maurice River Township, the prosecutor said. A Millville police officer, the pedestrian struck at the Wawa and occupants of the suspect and civilian vehicles involved in the crash were taken to Inspira Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Griffiths was taken to Cumberland County Jail pending court.

New Jersey State Police are investigating.

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