Speeding BMW Driver Crashes On Route 4, Flees Into Woods Before K9 Sniffs Him Out, Police Say

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A 34-year-old Paterson man was arrested after police say he led officers on a multi-town pursuit that ended in a crash on Route 4 in Paramus — and a K9 tracked him down hiding in a bush late Monday, Nov. 3.

An Elmwood Park officer spotted a 2019 BMW X5 traveling at a high rate of speed on Mola Boulevard around 10:46 p.m., Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said.The vehicle also had a faded temporary registration that came back to a Dodge Ram pickup truck, police said.

When the officer attempted a motor vehicle stop near Mola Boulevard and 16th Avenue, the driver — later identified as Max E. Almonte, of Paterson — fled east on Broadway toward Fair Lawn, police said. Officers briefly pursued the vehicle but lost sight of it as it entered Fair Lawn.

Moments later, Fair Lawn police spotted the BMW speeding east on Broadway near Midland Avenue, according to Sgt. Eric Eleshewich. Officers followed at a safe distance and did not initiate a pursuit.

The BMW crashed while merging onto Route 4 East from the flyover, Eleshewich said. Almonte then jumped over the concrete barrier onto Route 4 West and ran into the wooded area behind the Hyatt.

A perimeter was established with assistance from Fair Lawn Police, Paramus Police, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office. K9 Simba was deployed and tracked Almonte to a residence on Saddle River Road in Fair Lawn, where officers found him hiding in a bush, Eleshewich said.

Almonte was placed into custody by Fair Lawn Police. After being processed and charged there, he was turned over to the Elmwood Park Police Department for additional charges. He was later transported to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, where he will remain until his first court appearance, police said.

Almonte racked up a litany of charges for the incident:

Fair Lawn: obstruction of the administration of law, obstructing a government function, reckless driving, speeding, traffic on marked lanes, unsafe lane change, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, failure to report an accident, driving after driver’s license or registration was suspended or revoked, no liability insurance coverage on a motor vehicle, and fictitious plates.

Paramus: obstruction, unlawful taking by means of conveyance, resisting arrest, reckless driving, unsafe lane change, driving while suspended, and leaving the scene of an accident, according to police.

Elmwood Park: careless driving likely to endanger person or property, reckless driving, unsafe operation of a vehicle, driving after driver’s license or registration was suspended or revoked, driving with an expired license, failure to possess a driver’s license, failure to possess a vehicle registration, failure to possess an insurance card, no liability insurance coverage on a motor vehicle, driving or parking an unregistered motor vehicle, disregarding a stop sign or yield sign, failure to observe a traffic control device, speeding, traffic on marked lanes, improper display or unclear plates, fictitious plates, failure to signal before a left turn, failure to signal before a right turn, failure to signal before stopping or decreasing speed, and failure to comply with the direction of an officer.