A North Jersey man is accused of repeatedly striking another vehicle and leading police on a brief chase before crashing on a highway, authorities said.
Anthony M. Jean, 25, of Mahwah, was being processed at township police headquarters for numerous charges as of 3:15 p.m. Jan. 2, according to Captain Michael Blondin. He will then be transported to the Bergen County Jail.
The incident began around 12:30 p.m. when Mahwah officer Gino Perrelli conducted a motor vehicle stop on the northbound side of Route 287, Blondin said. During the stop, a car operated by Jean drove onto the shoulder in front of the vehicle that was pulled over.
As Perrelli approached the second vehicle, Jean put the car in reverse and rammed the other vehicle three times, Blondin said. The leading car then fled onto the highway, ignoring the officer’s attempts to stop it.
Perrelli and additional police units pursued the vehicle as it drove across the median onto the overpass near exit 66. At the bottom of the ramp onto Route 287, the car became disabled after Jean lost control and crashed into the guardrail, police said.
Jean refused multiple commands to show his hands and exit the vehicle. He also reached into the center console several times and made “threatening movements,” Blondin said.
A team of officers approached the vehicle using a ballistic shield and opened the driver’s side door. The officers extracted Jean from the vehicle, though he continued to resist before he was eventually subdued and taken into custody, Blondin said.
Following the incident, the Franklin Lakes Police Department notified Mahwah that it had been searching for Jean due to “suspicious activity that he was involved in at his former place of employment,” Blondin said.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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