Crime & Safety

Summit Police Officer Seriously Injured In Midnight Crash

Officer Anthony Pyzik, 31, needed 15 stitches in his head and will need surgery.

A Summit police officer is in serious but stable condition after a head-on collision with a stolen car.
A Summit police officer is in serious but stable condition after a head-on collision with a stolen car. (Caren Lissner/Patch.com )

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit Police Officer Anthony Pyzik is in a serious but stable condition at Morristown Medical Center following a motor vehicle accident at 12:16 a.m. at the intersections of Morris Avenue and Lower Overlook Road in Summit, a city official said.

Pyzik, 31, has been in the department for three years.

According to the city, he was monitoring a motor vehicle pursuit of a stolen motor vehicle that was traveling east on Morris Avenue, when the suspect vehicle crossed the center line and collided head-on with his police vehicle.

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According to Summit Police Captain Andrew Bartolotti, Pyzik received lacerations to the head, requiring 15 stitches, and will require surgery to repair femur, hip, and wrist fractures.

Pyzik was taken to the trauma center at Morristown Medical Center by the Summit Fist Aid Squad.

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Two suspects were apprehended at the scene.

The city said that the driver of the vehicle, Walleed Wheeler, 18, of Newark, has been charged with second degree eluding and second degree aggravated assault on a police officer, third degree receiving stolen property, and third degree possession of heroin.

The passenger, Dante Brown, 20, of Newark, has been charged with third degree receiving stolen property.

The Summit police were aided by other responding police agencies, including a New Jersey State Police helicopter.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com.

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