State Releases Police Videos In Fatal Burlington County Crash

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ - New video released by the state Attorney General’s Office chronicles a high-speed chase that ended with a Trenton man losing his life.

The video depicts desperate efforts by a Bordentown police officer and two bystanders to save two people who became trapped in the car after it crashed into a wooded area.

Keron Roundtree, 23, was injured when he attempted to flee a routine traffic stop on Route 206 in Bordentown on Oct. 27, 2020, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Roundtree died as a result of his injuries on Nov. 17. At that point, the Attorney General’s Office took over the investigation, and released video from the officer’s dashcam and body camera on Friday.

The officer was on patrol on Route 206 South when he saw a silver Nissan Maxima stop abruptly. When the car started moving again, the officer began to follow.

The officer followed the car, which officials said Roundtree was driving, as it used an exit to get off Route 206, stop abruptly, and make an illegal u-turn back onto the highway.

At that point, the officer put his siren on and followed Roundtree back onto the highway.

“I’m attempting to stop him, but he’s taking off,” the officer said when calling in the incident. “He’s doing about 100 miles per hour.”

The officer went on to say he was attempting to stop the car for failure to maintain lane, he reported that Roundtree, “lost control. He totaled.”

As the officer approached the scene, the dashcam showed debris from downed trees in the highway.

“You OK? It’s Bordentown Police,” the officer yelled as he got out of the car. He searched the woods before eventually finding the car. As a man inside the car pleads to get out, the officer told him, “I’m trying.”

A bystander who came upon the scene, and help the officer get the passenger out of the smoking car. As the bystander helped the passenger off camera, the officer was telling him not to worry about his phone. The officer then went to the driver’s side of the car, and began prying on the door before the video came to an end.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, they were able to get both men out of the car and administer CPR until ambulances arrive. Roundtree and the unnamed passenger were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

Roundtree remained hospitalized until his death on Nov. 17, according to the Attorney General’s Office. The passenger was treated and released. The videos from the scene have been posted here.

Roundtree attended school in Trenton and Mount Holly, according to his online obituary. He worked for the Post Office, ShopRite, the car wash and Applebee’s, and enjoyed music, dancing and making people laugh.

The Attorney General’s Office is required to investigate deaths involving law enforcement officers who are acting under their official capacity.

The state directive passed in 2019 details a 10-step process that concludes with the presentation of the case to a grand jury. The videos were released as part of the process, but grand juries aren’t currently meeting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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