ELIZABETH, N.J. – A New Jersey man is accused of repeatedly driving over a woman with his SUV after a minor crash, authorities said Wednesday.
Vincent Jean, 56, of Elizabeth, was charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, third-degree assault by auto, third-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with serious bodily injury, third-degree endangering an injured victim and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to a news release from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
The 23-year-old woman was listed in critical condition at an area hospital after the Tuesday morning attack, NJ.com reported.
Officers from the Elizabeth Police Department responded to an intersection shortly after 8:30 a.m. EDT, according to the prosecutor’s office news release. They discovered the victim on the front lawn of a residence, suffering from “numerous severe injuries.”
Witnesses reported the woman and the driver of a Mitsubishi SUV were involved in a minor accident in the area when the SUV driver, later identified as Jean, attempted to leave, NJ.com reported. The woman began taking photos of the fleeing vehicle, according to the news organization.
“At that point, the suspect drove his car directly at the victim and she began to run onto the lawn to avoid being struck,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The suspect drove onto the lawn and struck the victim, then drove over her before backing up and deliberately running her over a second time.”
According to police, Jean fled the area, NJ.com reported.
The incident was caught on a resident’s security camera, according to News12 The Bronx.
Officers later located Jean sitting alone in the driver’s seat of his damaged vehicle, prosecutors said.
“There is no indication at all from the investigation that there was a bias/hate crime motive,” Union County Assistant Prosecutor Mike Sheets wrote in an email to NJ.com.
Jean is at the Union County jail.
