Erratic Driver Strikes Dozens Of Parked Cars, Damages Property In Jersey City
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Parked cars were treated like part of a demolition derby in Jersey City after a driver banged and smashed up dozens of vehicles early Saturday.
Markers along Kennedy Boulevard and Griffith Street were crashed into and launched into glass in the back of Francisco Flores' parked car. He was home up the street, fast asleep when police came knocking.
"I wouldn't have known about it if the cops didn't wake me up," he told CBS2.
Flores learned from investigators his car was one of close to two dozen cars nailed or sideswiped during the reckless driving spree that traversed busy thoroughfares like Kennedy and Tonnelle, and made its way to narrower ones like Lincoln, Manhattan, and Western Avenues.
John Pantoliano's car was parked in front of his house, and the loud noise caused him to run out and confront the driver.
"He was out of it, he just put it in drive and kept going," he said. "His car was smoking, he didn't care, he just wanted to get away."
Witnesses say by the time the suspect's car struck a Mustang parked at a nearby auto body repair shop, police were close by. They swooped in on the man, who's described as around 30-years-old.
Neighbor Julian Medina says he saw police administer a field sobriety test.
"When I saw the guy, he looked out of it so he didn't look 100 percent there," Medina said.
Spanning several miles, it was a Saturday morning of cleaning up, calling insurance companies, and knowing there was luckily a driver in custody without anybody hurt.
