Coat Thief Ran Over Victim, Fled Scene, Cops Say

A pedestrian was hospitalized after being struck by the car of a driver who had allegedly stolen a jacket from his vehicle minutes prior last Thursday.

Both the alleged hit-and-run and theft took place outside a business on Woodhollow Road around 3:30 p.m.

Parsippany Police Ptl. Earl Kinsey said in a press release that an employee of the business told police that he saw a black male, described as approximately 5-foot-10 and weighing about 240 pounds, wearing black clothing pull into the parking lot in a black Cadillac CTS.

The employee said the man got out of his car, opened the door of another man's car and removed a leather jacket. When the employee told the man who the car belonged to, the man ran outside yelling "stop" to the man who allegedly took the jacket, Kinsey said.

The man who allegedly took the jacket got back into the Cadillac and then struck the other man with his car, Kinsey said. 

"The victim was intentionally struck by the vehicle as it was fleeing the area," Kinsey said.

The man who was struck was transported to Morristown Medical Center by the Par-Troy EMS Squad.

The Parsippany Police Investigative Division and Morris County Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigative Division assisted at the scene.

Kinsey said the incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information should contact the police department at 973-263-4300 or email crime_tips@parpolice.com.