By: Richard L. Smith
A Clifton police officer was injured and two others narrowly escaped being struck during a chain-reaction crash that erupted into flames along Route 21 early Sunday morning.
According to information sent by Clifton Police, three officers were investigating an earlier crash on Route 21 North near River Road shortly before 4 a.m. when another vehicle approached the scene.
RLS Media has learned that police vehicles had been positioned in the left lane to help direct motorists safely around the initial crash when a car driven by a 32-year-old Passaic man slammed into two of the police vehicles.
One officer who was inside a police vehicle suffered a head injury in the collision.
The other two officers were forced to quickly move out of harm's way, with one jumping over a concrete barrier to avoid being struck by the vehicles.
The impact caused the Passaic man's car and one of the police vehicles to catch fire. Police said the driver and two passengers were able to escape the vehicle before flames engulfed it.
The injured officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was later released.
The driver and one passenger were also taken to a hospital for treatment.
Following the investigation, police charged the driver with assault by auto, driving while intoxicated and additional traffic-related offenses.
No other serious injuries were reported.