Route 4 Crash in Teaneck, NJ Leaves Shooting Victim Injured After Vehicle Strikes Utility Pole Near Decatur Avenue

On Friday, October 2, 2026, at approximately 9:15 p.m., Teaneck police responded to multiple reports of a crash on Route 4 westbound near Decatur Avenue in Teaneck, Bergen County, New Jersey. According to Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Jeff Angermeyer, a white Toyota RAV4 struck a utility pole along the highway. Teaneck officers, assisted by the Englewood Police Department, encountered three people at the scene, and one of them had suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand, authorities said. Daily Voice reported that two occupants of the vehicle fled the scene on foot, leaving the wounded man inside the SUV. The injured man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalized in stable condition. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Robbery-Homicide Division was notified and launched a joint investigation with the Teaneck Police Department, and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office responded to assist. As of Saturday, October 3, authorities had released no additional details, and the investigation remains active and ongoing. The identities of those involved have not been publicly released.

Location and Infrastructure

Route 4 is a heavily traveled divided state highway that runs east-west across Bergen County, connecting Paterson in Passaic County with Fort Lee and the approaches to the George Washington Bridge. Through Teaneck, the highway carries a mix of commuter, commercial, and regional shopping traffic heading to and from the Paramus retail corridor and New York City. Much of the roadway in this area relies on ramps, jughandles, and right-in, right-out access points rather than traffic signals, meaning vehicles often travel at sustained highway speeds while local traffic merges on and off. Concrete medians separate eastbound and westbound lanes, and utility poles, signage, and roadside structures line portions of the shoulder. The Decatur Avenue area sits within Teaneck's residential neighborhoods and is close to neighboring Englewood, whose police department assisted at the scene. Evening hours on Route 4 can bring reduced visibility and fluctuating traffic volumes.

Legal Rights and Considerations

New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state, so people injured in motor vehicle crashes generally first seek medical expense coverage through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits under their own auto policy, regardless of fault. A driver's chosen tort option, either the "limitation on lawsuit" (verbal threshold) or "no limitation on lawsuit" option, can affect the ability to pursue claims for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence standard under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, which bars recovery if a claimant is found more than 50 percent at fault. The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. Leaving the scene of a crash involving injury may carry penalties under N.J.S.A. 39:4-129. Depending on the circumstances, potential compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and non-economic damages. Victims of violent crime may also be eligible for assistance through the state's Victims of Crime Compensation Office.

Related Resources

Local Emergency Services

• Teaneck Police Department – https://www.teanecknj.gov/
• Englewood Police Department – https://www.cityofenglewood.org/
• Bergen County Prosecutor's Office – https://www.bcpo.net/
• Bergen County Sheriff's Office – https://www.bcsd.us/

Traffic Safety Resources

• New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety – https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-highway-traffic-safety/
• New Jersey Department of Transportation – https://www.nj.gov/transportation/
• 511NJ Real-Time Traffic Information – https://511nj.org/

Support Services for Victims

• New Jersey Victims of Crime Compensation Office – https://www.njoag.gov/programs/victims-of-crime-compensation-office/
• Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Victim-Witness Advocacy Unit – https://www.bcpo.net/
• New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (auto insurance consumer help) – https://www.nj.gov/dobi/

State Traffic Laws and Regulations

• New Jersey Statutes, Title 39 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation) – https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/
• New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission – https://www.nj.gov/mvc/