Police chase in East Orange ends with crash on school property
EAST ORANGE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Police say a chase ended with a stolen car driving across a football field and a basketball court before crashing into a school building on Tuesday morning.
The collision left car parts strewn across the Sheila Oliver Academy school campus around 10:45 a.m.
Five people are in custody after the 45-minute chase.
The police chase began 13 miles away in Fort Lee before crossing county and city lines and landing at the back of the elementary school.
Officials say the suspect vehicle, a BMW X7 , drove through Newark with only three wheels while trying to evade New Jersey State Police.
The driver led police on a chase from the Cross Bronx Expressway, across the George Washington Bridge, down the turnpike, and exited in Newark where it smashed into a parked car -- losing its front passenger wheel -- but it kept going.
"They made it quite a distance without a tire because Newark is maybe six to seven blocks eastbound from here," said East Orange Police Deputy Chief Kasim Gilyard.
The chase ended as the BMW entered through a park, ran over fences, went across the basketball court and landed in the bleachers.
"We just thank god that no one got hurt, normally this park is used for our residents, our young kids in the school behind me, we are just glad no one was in the park at that time," said East Orange Mayor Ted Green.
Officials say there is damage to the fence, running path and stadium.
"We just rubberized a track less than five days ago, so we were preparing to open for what it's a wonderful spring, summer season and the audacity of criminals to vandalize public infrastructure that is a benefit for all of us around here...it's devastating," said East Orange City Councilwoman 5th Ward Naiima Fauntleroy.
Authorities say the car was connected to an earlier home break-in. Details surrounding that incident were not yet known.
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