Videos Show Police Chase Prior To Fatal Crash In Essex County – Montclair, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Authorities have released dashcam video footage of a police car chase that took place prior to a fatal crash in Essex County last month.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office also released additional details about the crash, which happened in Glen Ridge on May 10. It involved two Montclair police officers who were trying to pull over a vehicle in connection with a robbery investigation, authorities said. Read More: 2 Dead After Police Chase Ends With Crash In Essex County

Two Philadelphia residents, Gregory Dukes, 42, and Cecil Richardson, 47, were killed in the collision. The driver of the car, Todd Hill, 45, also of Philadelphia, was injured and hospitalized; he has since been released from the hospital, authorities said.

State prosecutors released a statement about the crash, which remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability:

“According to the preliminary investigation, the accident occurred shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Bloomfield Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Officers [Michael] Kupchack and [Brandon] Taylor activated lights on their marked patrol vehicles in an attempt to stop the vehicle driven by Mr. Hill in connection with a robbery investigation. At that point, the vehicle sped off, traveling at speeds that reached in excess of 64 mph. Approximately 22 seconds later, and without coming into contact with another car, Mr. Hill lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a tree. Mr. Dukes and Mr. Richardson were pronounced deceased on scene. Officers Kupchack and Taylor exited their vehicles and located Mr. Hill near the car. Other officers arrived and rendered aid. Once an ambulance arrived, Mr. Hill was transported to University Hospital [in Newark], admitted for treatment and later released.”

Video and audio footage taken at the scene can be seen online here. Prior to releasing the footage, investigators met with Dukes’ and Richardson’s relatives to review the recordings with them.

In the videos, Montclair police officers attempt to pull over a Hyundai sedan when it comes to a stop at an intersection. The sedan then speeds up and makes a right through the intersection, with police cars in pursuit.

The chase continues down the street as several cars pass by in the opposite lane of traffic.

The sedan then crashes, and the officers exit their vehicle and proceed to the crash site.

According to attorney general’s office:

“This investigation is being conducted pursuant to a state law enacted in January 2019 (P.L. 2019, c.1), which requires that the Attorney General’s Office conduct all investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. Separately, the Independent Prosecutor Directive, which was issued in December 2019, outlines a 10-step process for conducting these investigations. The Directive establishes clear procedures governing such investigations to ensure that they are conducted in a full, impartial and transparent manner. Under both state law and the Directive, when the entire investigation is complete, the case will be presented to a grand jury, typically consisting of 16 to 23 citizens, to make the ultimate decision regarding whether criminal charges will be filed.”

“The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time,” authorities said Thursday.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.