Police arrested a teen boy accused of running a woman over with his dirt bike, dragging her several feet and then fleeing the scene on foot in Pleasantville, New Jersey last month.
The 17-year-old Pleasantville boy was arrested and charged with assault by auto and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash with serious bodily injury. He will also be issued several motor vehicle violations.
Investigators say the teen was recklessly riding a dirt bike on Main Street near West Jersey Avenue in Pleasantville back on August 5 around 6:30 p.m. The teen allegedly drove up a sidewalk when he struck a 27-year-old Galloway Township woman who had just left a nearby restaurant.
The teen boy dragged the woman at least 75 feet with the dirt bike and then fled the scene on foot, leaving the woman and his vehicle behind, according to police. The hit-and-run crash was captured on surveillance video.
“I just couldn’t believe,” said Monique Burton, who witnessed the crash. “A human being. It wasn’t no animal. It was a person.”
The woman was taken to the hospital where she was treated for serious head injuries and internal injuries.
Police say they received multiple tips which helped lead them to the teen. The suspect was processed and released pending a court appearance.
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The hit-and-run occurred less than two months after NBC10 first reported about Pleasantville’s ongoing issues with off-road dirt bikers casing problems on the streets, where it's illegal to ride. Police say the teen biker, who had a mask covering part of his face, rode onto the sidewalk to avoid traffic that was stopped at a light.
“This is akin to us taking out a firearm and shooting somebody that happens to be standing on the sidewalk that has nothing to do with whatever business you’re conducting,” said Pleasantville Police Captain Matthew Hartman.
Pleasantville officials say they’ve been in touch with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and state agencies to help with a more aggressive crackdown on the problem that will include locating and confiscating the bikes if necessary and taking action against the riders.
“It’s something we’ve been working on,” Captain Hartman said. “Unfortunately something like this happens and it basically jumpstarts everything and moves it forward.”
