KEARNY, NJ – Hudson County authorities have arrested Michael Johnson, 36, of Irvington, in connection with a 2022 multi-vehicle collision in Kearny that resulted in injuries to eight individuals.
Johnson faces three counts of Aggravated Assault, three counts of Assault by Auto at the third-degree level, and five counts of Assault by Auto at the fourth-degree level. He was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and is now in Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance. Johnson is employed as an Essex County Sheriff’s Officer but was off duty at the time of the collision.
The initial incident occurred on June 4, 2022, shortly after 11:20 p.m., when Kearny Police were alerted to a collision involving three vehicles: a Jeep Cherokee operated by Johnson, a Chevy Traverse, and a Nissan Rogue. All vehicles were found in the westbound lane of Harrison Avenue near the Route 280 entrance ramp. The investigation later revealed Johnson was under the influence and traveling east at the time of the crash.