Prospect Street and Hilton Avenue, Maplewood
Maplewood Police confirmed a report of an assault stemming from a possible “road rage” incident Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Prospect Street and Hilton Avenue that left a Maplewood woman with a concussion.
Officers responded to the intersection at around 1:20 p.m. for a report of “a dispute involving a possible road rage incident that culminated in a report of an assault,” said Capt. Dawn Williams in an email. “One individual was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The incident is under investigation.”
Williams said the police might be able to provide additional information soon but at the moment, they do not have further details “and therefore do not know what started the incident.”
An eyewitness told The Village Green she saw the alleged victim, who is her neighbor, crossing Hilton Ave. when a car “sped around her.”
“We both [called out], ‘Slow down, pedestrians first,’ said the eyewitness. The car pulled over in front of St. Joseph’s Church and the driver exited her car and began assaulting the woman, according to the eyewitness.
The eyewitness reported that her neighbor said to the driver, “Why are you doing this to me?” Before police officers responded to the scene, the driver, who reportedly had a passenger in the car, drove away, said the eyewitness.
“I was with her the whole time,” said the neighbor, who said she was “shaken” by the incident. “I didn’t leave her side.”
The woman, who was released from the hospital later Tuesday night with a concussion, said she feared for her life and is “mystified” by the incident. She told The Village Green in a phone interview, “I don’t want anybody else to go through this.”
The eyewitness said that she and the victim had been at the cross streets inspecting the newly raised intersection. Mayor Vic DeLuca confirmed the township had raised the center of the intersection by three inches this morning, at the recommendation of the township engineer and following concerns voiced by local residents about traffic safety in the area.
