Driver Who Hit Tree Was Dead Before Crash, Reports Say

A Garfield woman whose car hit a tree Thursday was dead before the accident, according to a report from the Cliffview Pilot.

An unnamed law enforcement official said the woman appeared to have been dead before the accident because of the lack of blood from a head wound.

Police Chief Frank Regino said the 70-year-old Garfield woman appeared to have had a "catastrophic medical situation" while driving along Fourth Avenue.

The woman's car hit a tree in front of a house at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Meadow lane, Regino said. She was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.