Last night, a stolen Mercedes-Benz, chased by the car's owner and police from a number of towns, barreled into a Honda Accord in New Milford, NJ. The Bergen Record reports that the Accord was ripped in half, killing a 10-year-old girl and critically injuring a 14-year-old boy (the car was driven by the 10-year-old's mother). The impact of the crash sent debris hundreds of feet. The Mercedes had apparently been left running when the owner went inside his house for another car's keys; when he saw his car was stolen, he called the police and tried to pursue Harold Saenz, 22, himself. A Bergen County prosecutor says police were not chasing the stolen car--just following. Saenz suffered minor injuries and taken into police custody; he was charged with felony murder and aggravated manslaughter.
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