By Larry Higgs
nj.com
HUDON COUNTY, N.J. — More than 100 vehicles “took over” a busy Hudson County intersection early Sunday morning, pitting police against reckless drivers who shot fireworks at officers.
Secaucus police were called to Secaucus Road and County Avenue intersection at 2:31 a.m. where a reported 100 vehicles took over the area. The location is close to a New Jersey Turnpike exit.
Police said the vehicles were being driven recklessly and doing smoking tire spin outs known as donuts while onlookers took videos of them.
When police arrived, over 50 people surrounded the officers’ vehicles and others climbed on top of marked police SUVs, damaging them, police said in a post on the department’s Facebook page.
People in the crowd used fireworks as incendiary devices, shooting them at and under police vehicles. Some of that was documented on videos police posted on the department Facebook page.
Officers from several surrounding departments assisted to help disperse the crowds, including Weehawken, North Bergen, Hoboken, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, East Rutherford and Rutherford.
The gathering mirrors other pop-up automotive incidents that occurred primarily at the Jersey Shore, including a Sept. 2022 car rally in Wildwood where two people were killed and several injured.
That “unsanctioned” tuner car meet-up event known as H2oi or, H20i, or H2022 led to efforts to ban them, including legislation used in other states to discourage similar events and regulate driver behavior.
A bill passed the state assembly last year but did not make it to the senate that would have given towns and the state DOT special powers to curb driver behavior at pop-up events.
That legislation would created special event zones, allowing a town to temporarily lower speed limits and ban “exhibition driving” stunts such as tire smoking burnouts and doing “donuts” with vehicles.
No officers were injured during the Secaucus melee, and officials said their restraint under these conditions was “nothing short of commendable.”
“Our officers came under attack last night and I will not tolerate this unrest,” Chief Dennis Miller said in a statement. “Secaucus is not going to be the place where these criminals operate with impunity!”
Police will dedicate resources from the department’s traffic, detective, patrol and intelligence sections to assemble a task force to identify the individuals responsible “for this riotous behavior and bring them to justice,” he said.
Police asked for anyone who can help identify anyone in the video to call the Secaucus tip line at 201-330-2049 or email spdtips@secaucusnjpolice.gov
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
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