State police have determined that a patrol vehicle window that was mysteriously smashed over the weekend, leading to a manhunt that shut down part of a New Jersey freeway, was not an attack on a trooper.
The incident happened Saturday when troopers responded to a car crash on I-78 in Clinton Township. They were attending to the injured driver when the rear window of their sport utility vehicle was shattered by an unknown object.
Authorities shut down the highway in both directions while they investigated the cause of the damage and searched the area.
State police announced Monday that a forensic examination found no bullet or shell casing.
Authorities still have not determined what caused the incident. A State Police spokesman says it "could be as simple" as a rock being kicked up by a passing truck tire.
"STILL stuck in traffic. Whatever happened here on i78 West near Pennsylvania must've been horrible. " pic.twitter.com/vm56wmorNY — Marc J. Anthony (@mixx_diddy) September 19, 2015
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The mysterious window shattering led to a full-on manhunt Saturday, with a helicopter in the air and K9 units on the ground, according to reports. Traffic was backed up for hours on I-78.
It all began after police responded to a single-car crash around 4:24 a.m. on the westbound side of I-78. Antonio Melendez, Jr., 29, was driving a 2000 Honda Civic when he crashed on the right shoulder of the roadway, police said.
While New Jersey State Police troopers were helping Melendez, the rear window of their marked SUV was hit by an unknown object and shattered, according to police. Officers began a search for potential suspects in the area around the crash site.
Part of I-78 was shut down during the manhunt, leading to miles of gridlocked traffic and confused motorists. Traffic could be seen backed up for miles along the roadway, with some drivers getting out of their cars.
Police gave little information about what was going on and rumors began to spread, NJ.com reported. One rumor was that an inmate had escaped a local prison, another was that a police officer had been shot.
Police released a statement around 9:30 a.m. to dispel the rumors. "We want to make it clear that no troopers or civilians have been injured in the incident being investigated on I-78 in Clinton Township," police wrote. "Additionally, we have received no reports of escapes from any correctional facilities."
Traffic was opened again on I-78 around 9 a.m. It is still not known what caused the rear window in the State Police SUV to shatter.
The driver of the crashed Honda Civic was taken to Hunderton Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.
