Car crashes into River Edge, N.J. building. Residents say it isn't the first time that's happened
A car crashed into a River Edge, N.J. building early Wednesday morning and burst into flames. Residents used the fire escape to get out. Johan Valencia-Restrepo, 35, of New Milford, has been charged with assault by auto."It catapulted up into the air"Surveillance video from a neighboring business captured the moment of impact. The vehicle came down the steep hill on Midland Avenue around 3 a.m. and slammed into a real estate business on Kinderkamack Road, and then caught fire. The vehicle's occupants escaped the flames and were taken to a hospital for treatment. "The car came down at a very high rate of speed and rammed right into the building. It catapulted up into the air," Loren Haber said. Darry Pita, a property manager for Nigito Realty, said residents in the upstairs apartments had to scramble to escape. "Our tenants, our four tenants upstairs, two of them went out through the fire escape in the back. The other two went out the front. So they are safe. That was my main concern. And luckily none of our employees were in the office at that time," Pita said. One of those residents had to be treated for smoke inhalation. "It's very dangerous"Area residents and workers say it's a dangerous intersection, and that buildings there have been struck by cars multiple times. "People just come flying down that hill. It's very dangerous," Pita said. "It's a combination of careless driving and no respect for the road," Haber said. The building that was struck was deemed unsafe for now. The Red Cross is assisting residents of the upstairs apartments with temporary relocation. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation.
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