A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered amid an ongoing search for footage of the Jeep that fatally struck two teens riding electric bikes in North Jersey earlier this week.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Cranford Police Department have requested that residents check their home surveillance and dash cameras for the vehicle, described as a 2021 black Jeep Compass Utility 4D Altitude 4WD with tinted windows. They’re also seeking out anyone who was traveling in the area of Hillcrest, Burnside, or Lincoln avenues around the time of the crash on Monday evening.
Authorities said a man driving through Cranford plowed into a pair of teen girls on e-bikes just before 5:30 p.m. The victims were both airlifted to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. Their names have not yet been released, but officials said they were both students at Cranford High School.
According to ABC 7, the girls were leaving a school function and just blocks away from home when they were hit.
The driver, meanwhile, left the scene before first responders arrived. Police said he, at some point, exited his Jeep and then attempted to flee on foot, but he was apprehended a short time later. He has not been identified and no charges have yet been announced.
“The Township of Cranford is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two young women in last night’s heartbreaking incident,” said the Cranford Township Committee in a social media post. “Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and loved ones during this time of unimaginable pain and sorrow.”
An investigation into the matter is ongoing. Anyone with information about the crash has been asked to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office or Cranford police.
Information resulting “in an arrest and indictment can be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000 via the Union County Crime Stoppers,” officials noted.
