ICE Chase Ends In Car Crash In Bergen County, Injuring 1: Police

TEANECK, NJ — One person was injured in a car crash on Sunday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents chased a suspect through Teaneck, forcing an uninvolved car into a pole, police said.

Teaneck police said that around 11:21 a.m. Sunday, they received several 911 calls reporting a crash at Queen Anne Road and Walraven Drive. One of the callers identified himself as an ICE agent.

Police responded and found two damaged vehicles and a
snapped utility pole with wires on top of the street and several cars. One person was trapped in a car because of the wires, police said.

An investigation determined that ICE agents were pursuing someone in a 2017 Toyota Tacoma on Walraven Drive.

The Toyota driver crashed into an occupied 2026 Nissan Rogue parked near a utility pole. The Nissan then smashed into the pole, which snapped in two.

The occupant of the Nissan had to remain in the car for an hour while PSE&G responded to safely remove the wires, police said.

The suspect in the Toyota complained of head pain at the scene and was treated by the Teaneck Fire Department and Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, police said.

Nobody else was injured, said Police Chief Andrew McGurr.

McGurr told Patch that the driver will be charged withreckless driving and driving on the sidewalk.

He also confirmed that ICE did not notify local officials of their presence in town that day.

ICE Charges

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Monday afternoon that the man, Luis Angel Cifuentes Rodas of Guatemala, had entered the country illegally at an unknown time and place.

"While trying to dangerously evade arrest, Cifuentes crashed his vehicle into a parked car, causing power lines to fall," the spokesperson noted. “Resisting officers and evading arrest is dangerous for our officers, illegal aliens, and the public. We remind the public that resisting officers and evading arrests is a felony and a federal crime.”

The spokesperson said the charges "will be heard by a Justice Department immigration judge and he will receive full due process."

Agents Present In Teaneck This Year

Teaneck residents have noted several investigations by ICE agents in town this year. Officials had criticized ICE after, they said, agents questioned a man who was taking his niece to school.

Read prior coverage here: Teaneck Officials Respond To ICE Activity Near School