New Jersey Teen Charged After SUV Crashes Into Group of Six Teens

A 16-year-old New Jersey driver is facing multiple charges after an SUV veered onto a sidewalk in Lindenwold and struck six teenagers who were walking home near their high school.

The crash happened Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 6, on East Gibbsboro Road, just a short distance from Lindenwold High School. Police said the victims, all between 14 and 16 years old, were walking along the sidewalk when the SUV suddenly left the roadway and hit the group.

Surveillance footage showed the silver SUV jumping the curb before traveling across the sidewalk and crashing into a fence. The impact left one teenager trapped underneath the vehicle, while five others were also struck.

Emergency crews worked to lift the SUV and free the trapped victim. That teenager was flown by medical helicopter to Cooper University Hospital for treatment. The other five victims were taken to nearby hospitals.

Authorities initially said the full extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately available. Later reports indicated that all six teenagers were expected to recover physically, although the crash left classmates and the wider school community deeply shaken.

The investigation took a significant turn as authorities determined that the driver was a 16-year-old boy. According to police, he was later charged with one count of second-degree aggravated assault, six counts of third-degree aggravated assault and one count of joyriding. He was taken to the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police believe the crash was the result of reckless driving rather than an intentional act. Investigators are continuing to examine exactly what happened in the moments before the SUV left the roadway.

The incident also drew attention after a nearby worker rushed to help the injured teenagers. Dennis Woodley said he heard the crash and immediately ran toward the scene after learning that several high school students had been hit.

Woodley described finding one girl with her leg pinned beneath a tire and another teenager underneath the front of the SUV. He said he and a coworker intervened and restrained the driver until police arrived, although authorities have not independently confirmed his account that the teen attempted to leave the scene.

The crash has since become a major source of concern at Lindenwold High School, where students struggled to process what had happened to their classmates.

School district officials offered support to the injured students and their families and said counseling would be available to students who needed it. Superintendent Kristin P. O’Neil urged the community to keep the recovering teenagers and their families in their thoughts.

While the physical injuries are expected to heal, the sudden crash has left a lasting emotional impact on the school community. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision as the six teenagers recover.

Source: New York Post, NBC Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer, KYW Newsradio and Lindenwold Police Department.