Video Shows NJ Police Car Crashing Into Home, Killing 65-Year-Old Woman

New Jersey state officials on Wednesday released a porch security video showing the moment a police car crashed into a home after hitting, and killing, a 65-year-old woman.

Around 7 p.m. on Oct. 22, Clifton city police officer Garrell Middleton was on his way to a crime in progress when he slammed into a 65-year-old pedestrian before crashing into a home. Footage of the horrific incident was captured by a Nest camera from a house nearby.

The 25-second video recording showed the flashing blue and red lights of the police car before the sound of screeching brakes, and a loud boom, were heard. Neither Middleton or the victim were visible in the footage, NJ.com reported.

New Jersey’s Office of the Attorney General released the video as part of an ongoing investigation. The state attorney general’s office must launch a probe each time someone dies during a police encounter. A grand jury is expected to review the case and decide whether Middleton was at fault.

The victim, who was hit at the intersection of Allwood and Brookwood Roads, received first aid from Middleton before paramedics rushed her to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m. Authorities declined to reveal her identity.

Investigators say they have other videos of the incident. The released clip is the only one that captured the fatal encounter.

Officials regularly release videos of people who die in police custody. Recent releases from Asbury Park, Trenton, and other areas show footage taken from body-worn cameras. However, Clifton cops do not wear body cameras.

The city’s law enforcement agency also does not have access to dashboard cameras, according to Clifton Det. Lt. Robert Bracken, the New York Post reported.

Data released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office in September showed that less than half of the state’s law enforcement agencies have access to body cameras. A survey also showed that only 239 of the state’s 537 agencies used cameras.

“The need for accountability and transparency has never been greater. I applaud the many police departments that have embraced body-worn cameras as a critical tool for enhancing police-community relations, and I urge more to follow suit,” Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.