Montclair police seek hit-and-run driver in three-car crash on Bloomfield Avenue

By TALIA WIENER
wiener@montclairlocal.news

After being hit by another vehicle while driving on Bloomfield Avenue, a Rochester man's car swerved off the road and struck a parked car, three planters, a road sign, four chairs and a trash receptacle, according to police.

He barely missed a pedestrian as the other driver sped off, as shown in a surveillance video provided to Montclair Local by Efi's Gyro.

Montclair Police responded to the scene on Nov. 8 at 7:13 p.m. following reports of the three-car accident at Bloomfield Avenue just east of Park Street. It is now being investigated as a hit-and-run involving three cars, Sgt. Terence Turner said.

A 29-year-old man from Rochester, New York said he was driving his 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe west on Bloomfield Avenue in the right lane, approaching the intersection of Park Street, Turner said. The man reported that a vehicle to his left, also driving west, suddenly swerved into him from the left lane.

The Rochester man attempted to swerve to the right to avoid being struck by that vehicle but was ultimately hit, causing his vehicle to strike a parked vehicle prior to leaving the roadway, he said.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the Hyundai continued west on Bloomfield Avenue without stopping, he said. No injuries were reported.

The accident is still under investigation pending the identity of the second driver, Turner said.