Police: Teen driver, passenger were 'horsing around' before car crash

Four teens — including two 16-year-old girls from Boonton — were lucky to escape serious injury Saturday after some front-seat "horsing around" directly led to their vehicle crashing off Route 46, according to Fairfield police.

According to the police report, police in the Essex County township bordering Morris County were notified about 8:35 p.m. Dec. 26, that a vehicle had left the roadway while traveling on eastbound Route 46 near mile marker 53.

Responding officers found a 2012 Hyundai sandwiched between a Chevrolet Blazer and a dump truck. The Blazer and the truck were parked on the rear property of 57 Fairfield Road at the time of the accident and were not occupied.

All four occupants of the Hyundai — including the 17-year-old male driver and a 16-year-old male passenger in the front seat, both from Pompton Lakes, and the Boonton girls occupying the back seat — were able to exit the Hyundai prior to police arriving.

An investigation concluded that the males allegedly were "fooling around" and the front-seat passenger grabbed the steering wheel, forcing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and leave the roadway. The vehicle then slid on the grass and struck two snow-plow blades that were on the ground and then came to rest between the two parked vehicles.

"The fact that no one was seriously injured in this incident is truly a Christmas miracle," Deputy Chief Anthony Manna said Monday. "A few inches either way could have been tragic. Striking the snow-plow blades might have slowed them down just enough before the crash."

The West Essex First Aid Squad responded and evaluated the occupants, all of whom complained of pain but refused further medical treatment at the scene.

No names of the vehicle occupants were released. The driver was issued a summons for careless driving, for having too many passengers in a vehicle operated by a provisional driver and for a provisional driver not assuring that passengers were wearing seat belts.

"It amazes me they were not ejected from the vehicle," Manna said of the occupants failing to wear seat belts. "The accident only accentuates the reason why regulations are placed on provisional drivers and just how serious the operation of a motor vehicle actually is. This was strictly caused by horsing around. I'm hoping this story gets out there and leads to parents having some serious conversations with their kids.”

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.