Leonia NJ police recently arrested a Closter woman who allegedly hit a crossing guard with her Lexus RX 350 and then fled the scene of the accident.

According to authorities, the 49-year-old suspect was behind the wheel of the SUV and driving past Anna C. Scott Elementary School shortly after students had been released for the day.

Witnesses later told police that the suspect tried to make a left turn at the intersection of Broad Street and Fort Lee Road, prompting the crossing guard to stop the vehicle. This was the same intersection at which a Fort Lee woman was fatally injured last year.

The suspect and the crossing guard allegedly got into a verbal altercation, which escalated and ended with the suspect allegedly striking the victim with her SUV. As a result of the contact with the vehicle, the victim fell to the pavement and suffered an elbow injury.

According to law enforcement, the suspect drove away immediately after the incident. After driving a few blocks, the victim pulled over and called local police to issue a complaint about the crossing guard. When Leonia NJ police instructed the suspect to return to the school, she allegedly refused. The suspect also allegedly ignored phone calls and text messages from local police in the days that followed.

The suspect eventually turned herself in at the Leonia Borough Police Department. She was charged with assault by auto and hindering apprehension. Additionally, the suspect was cited for several traffic violations.

If the suspect is ultimately convicted of assault by auto, she faces severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(c), anyone who drives a vehicle recklessly and causes serious bodily injury can be charged with a fourth degree criminal offense. A conviction on fourth degree assault by auto charges could result in a sentence of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.

After being placed under arrest and processed, the suspect was taken to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, NJ. She was being held at the jail on a $2,500 bail amount.

For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Closter Woman Driving SUV Strikes Leonia Crossing Guard, Police Say.”