Man Hit 2 Cops With His Car Before Crashing On George Washington Bridge: Officials

TEANECK, NJ — A 32-year-old Pennsylvania man hit two police officers with his car in two different states before crashing his car on the George Washington Bridge and leading authorities on a foot chase, police said.

Royer Soto, of Hazleton, Pa., has been charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, drug and weapons charges, and 30 motor vehicle violations in the incident that happened about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Teaneck police said.

Soto was driving through Teaneck when an automatic license plate reader alerted police that the Honda Accord he was driving was sought for hitting an officer in New York City, police said.

Teaneck Police Officers Kyle Rosen and Alexander LaVacca saw the car turn into a municipal parking lot on State Street and tried to pull Soto over, police said. As Rosen got out and walked over to the Honda, Soto — who was in the process of making a K-turn — accelerated toward Rosen, knocking him to the ground, and took off, police said.

Rosen was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local medical center and released, police said.

Teaneck Police Officer Gage DiStasio spotted the car leaving a parking lot of a nearby shopping center and followed it to Route 4 East, through Englewood and Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge, police said.

The Honda entered the lower level of the bridge and sideswiped two vehicles, at which point DiStasio stopped his pursuit, but Port Authority police took over, police said. The sideswiped vehicles sustained minor damage, police said.

The Honda crashed on the New York side of the George Washington Bridge and Soto got out and tried to run away, but Port Authority police officers chased Soto and caught him, police said. He was found in possession of several clear plastic baggies of apparent cocaine, police said.

Soto was taken to a local area medical center for treatment of minor injuries, then brought to the Bergen County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center pending court appearances.

Soto was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, failure to lawfully dispose of a controlled dangerous substance, and weapons charges, police said.