Alleged drunk driver accused of causing fiery wreck involving police cars in Clifton

Updated 3 hours ago
CLIFTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- An alleged drunk driver awaiting trial for an unrelated crash is accused of causing a fiery wreck that could have killed three Clifton police officers.

It happened on Route 21 near River Road just before 4 a.m. Sunday.

Police say 32-year-old Matthew Cancel's car slammed into two police cars blocking the left lane for a crash investigation.

One officer suffered a head injury and another jumped over a concrete barrier to avoid being hit.

Cancel's vehicle and one of the police vehicles both caught fire and became fully engulfed in flames.

NJ State PBA



Police say there were two other passengers inside Cancel's vehicle. One passenger suffered a shoulder injury and the other was not injured.



The driver is facing charges including assault by auto and DWI.

The NJ State police union says Cancel's driving record includes more than 120 summonses in 20 municipalities.

"This is outrageous. Officers have to jump over a divider, patrol cars bursting into flames, all to avoid a tragedy," NJ State PBA President Peter Andreyev said. "This guy doesn't care about the law or the lives he puts in jeopardy. His license should have been suspended already from the last crash. He should have to go to court to prove he has the right to drive. We could be planning PBA members funerals today because of his reckless conduct."



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