Elderly woman walking dog hit by car in Newark police chase

NEWARK (WABC) -- A hot pursuit in Newark did not end well.

A driver trying to make a getaway while being chased by police mowed down an elderly woman walking her dog.

But she wasn't the only victim, the car then crashed into another driver.

The elderly woman was walking when the car hoped the curve hitting her, two others, and plowed down a fence.

Prosecutors say a gold Nissan Sentra was being chased by police through the streets of Newark just before Noon on Thursday.

The driver allegedly was weaving through traffic, trying his best to lose the police cruiser following closely behind.

In its path was a 79-year-old woman walking her dog on the sidewalk on Clinton Street near Branch Brook Park.

The force of the crash bent back a steel fence, putting the elderly woman in serious condition at the hospital.

Her neighbors were stunned to find out what happened as they were out walking their dogs Thursday night.

"She has a slight walking problem; she always has her dog in a walking stroller. I think she lives alone," said Shraddha Nadkarni, a neighbor.

Investigators say the 20-year-old driver also hit another car, putting that driver and passenger in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators won't say why police were chasing the driver or for how long.

Residents question whether a chase was called for.

"There's a lot of kids around here, you can't just chase people," said Clyde Foster, a driver.

"They should not be chasing the car. Who chases cars? I thought they stopped that," said Attalleh Ali, a resident.

The river of the car being chased by police is in custody. No arrests have been made.

The Professional Standards Bureau is investigating because the incident involved a police pursuit.