Three Newark men were arrested in Morristown early Saturday after fleeing a fiery stolen vehicle they crashed near a Route 287 on-ramp, according to a criminal filed issued by police.
Morristown Officer Michael Cerick was pursuing a white Tesla Model S that blew past him heading northeast at the intersection of South Park Place and Morris Street around 5 am.
As Cerick raced down Morris Street in pursuit, a white Lexus sedan passed him over a double yellow line into the oncoming traffic lane, according to the complaint.
The Lexus struck a median at Morris and Spring Street, recovered and continued on Morris Street, “having blown out one or more tires.”
“The vehicle was sparking and appeared to have partially caught fire,” Cerick reported.
It kept weaving into oncoming traffic, barely under control. Turning left onto the northbound I-287 ramp, the Lexus crashed into the dirt and came to a halt. Three men fled the smoking vehicle. Ignoring Cerick’s command to stop, two began jumping a fence north of the ramp, and the third ran down the ramp toward the highway, the complaint states.
Backup units soon arrested Naguan Parker, 18; Yahzea Wooden, 19; and Alqua Moye, age unclear, all of Newark. The Lexus was found to have been stolen in Clifton on April 25, 2018.
The suspects face charges of eluding police, resisting arrest and receiving stolen property. They were being held Monday in the Morris County Jail.
