Cedar Grove PD: Stolen U-Haul Crashes Near Little Falls ShopRite

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — The driver of a stolen U-Haul pickup truck crashed near the ShopRite in Little Falls after trying to escape from a Cedar Grove police officer on Wednesday. Police arrested three people inside the supermarket after they fled the crash scene on foot, authorities said.

According to the Cedar Grove Police Department, officer Raymond Casella tried to stop a 2018 Chevy Silverado U-Haul rental truck at 3:55 p.m. after the driver committed a “motor vehicle violation.”

For a moment, the driver stopped on Commerce Road, but then sped away in the direction of Little Falls as Casella approached the truck on foot. Casella followed the fleeing vehicle to the nearby ShopRite parking lot, where it plowed through a fence and careened into a wooded area behind the supermarket, police said.

When the truck became disabled, the occupants – a male adult and two male juveniles – got out of the vehicle and ran away, police said.

Law enforcement officers from several agencies soon arrived on the scene and conducted a search of the area. During this time, officers learned that the truck was reported stolen out of New York, authorities said.

Police eventually arrested the three suspects inside the ShopRite without further incident, authorities said. Each were charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and attempting to elude police.

An investigation is ongoing, authorities said Thursday. No additional information was immediately available.

Agencies involved in the search included the Little Falls and West Paterson police departments, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department and the NJ State Police.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Verona-Cedar Grove Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com