A New Jersey man was accused of attempted murder Wednesday after he allegedly plowed into a fleeing woman in an apparent road rage attack that unfolded in a suburban front yard.
The woman was seen in surveillance video obtained by NBC New York running from the man’s SUV moments before he allegedly ran over her.
She was initially in critical condition, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, and had improved to fair condition, NBC New York reported Thursday.
Vincent Jean, 56, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault and other crimes, the statement said.
The prosecutor’s office said he allegedly ran her over twice — once as she was running, and a second time after he’d already hit her.
Jean “deliberately” backed up over her, the statement said.
The incident began Tuesday morning after a minor accident in Elizabeth involving Jean and the 23-year-old woman, according to the prosecutor’s office.
NBC New York reported that neighbors saw Jean driving in reverse down a one-way street, apparently to avoid Tuesday rush hour traffic, when he crashed into the woman’s car.
When Jean tried to drive away, the woman began photographing his car.
“At that point, the suspect drove his car directly at the victim and she began to run onto the lawn to avoid being struck,” the prosecutor’s office said.
In the video, Jean’s silver SUV can be seen following her through the front yard. She can be seen falling moments before the SUV struck her, the station reported.
“How could you do a thing like this?” a neighbor whose camera captured the surveillance video told NBC New York. “It was a fender bender, that’s all.”
Jean then allegedly fled the area, the prosecutor’s office said. Later that morning, patrol officers found him parked on a nearby street sitting alone in the driver’s seat of his SUV.
Jean was in custody at the Union County jail and was awaiting a first appearance. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.