Police in Hillsdale New Jersey arrested an Old Tappan NJ man accused of fleeing the scene of an accident.

The car crash went down around 8:00 a.m. on Piermont Avenue near Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, New Jersey. The accident caused significant injuries to a 70-year-old pedestrian.

According to officials, the 76-year-old suspect was driving a black pickup truck on the roadway when he hit the victim. Afterwards, the suspect allegedly continued driving west on Piermont Avenue instead of stopping to check on the victim.

Although the suspect reportedly did not call 911, several witnesses contacted local law enforcement and alerted them about the motor vehicle accident. Hillsdale police officers arrived at the scene a short time later and found the victim lying on the road. The victim was reportedly suffering from “serious injuries,” so he was rushed via helicopter to Hackensack University Medical Center. Doctors at the hospital treated the victim, who was later listed in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Hillsdale police canvassed the area around the car crash in search of the suspect. Police officers eventually located the suspect’s pickup truck parked on Prospect Place in Hillsdale, New Jersey.

Police spoke with the suspect, who reportedly told them that he was not involved in the car accident. However, investigators later determined that the suspect was the likely driver of the vehicle that caused the accident, so he was placed under arrest and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and hindering apprehension.

If the suspect is convicted on the criminal charges of leaving the scene of an accident, he would face significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury to another person or significant property damage is a third degree crime. A conviction for leaving the scene of an accident can lead to a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

After being placed under arrest and processed, the suspect was moved to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, NJ. He was being held at the correctional facility in lieu of $25,000 bail.

For further information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Driver, 76, Charged with Leaving Accident That Seriously Injured Pedestrian.”