PARSIPPANY — On Monday, March 24, 2025, at approximately 6:51 p.m., emergency services were dispatched to 323 Smith Road in response to a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian and structural damage to a commercial building.
The 2024 Kia was legally parked in a marked stall at 323 Smith Road. The 16-year-old Parsippany resident operated the vehicle on her learner’s permit with the responsible party/licensed driver in the passenger seat. She backed out of the parking stall and stopped before the curb line. The passenger/licensed driver advised her to put the car in gear and pull out to the left since the driveway is one-way only. The juvenile forgot to put the car in drive. It accelerated in reverse, striking and going over the curb, sidewalk, and onto the patio area of the strip mall while continuing to accelerate. The vehicle then struck a pedestrian who was standing on the patio area. It pushed her backward several feet before striking the building structure and pinning her against the structure, causing significant bodily injury to the pedestrian.
The driver then put the vehicle into drive and pulled forward so the pedestrian would no longer be entrapped before placing the vehicle in park. Photographs were taken by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office CSI Team. She was charged with Careless Driving (39:4-97), Operating a Vehicle on a Sidewalk (39:4-71), and Speeding over a Sidewalk (39:4-100).
Parsippany Fire District 6, EMS, St. Clare’s MICU, and multiple officers from the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department—including Lt. Costigan, Sgt. Kinsey, Ptl. Mendez, Ptl. Williams, Ptl. McConnell, Ptl. Macera and SO Condurso responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, first responders found significant structural damage to the building’s exterior and a pedestrian, later identified as Jessica Cruz, 38, Parsippany, suffering from a severely injured right arm and other non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Morristown Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.
The crash caused a portion of the brick-and-mortar wall to collapse and shattered a large plate glass window adjacent to the building’s entrance. Building Inspector Brian Ricci assessed the damage and determined the structure to be secure despite the visible destruction.
Chandresh Bhatt, the business owner, was notified and advised that Parsippany Rescue and Recovery would secure the building by boarding up the damaged areas. Due to the extent of Cruz’s injuries, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office CSI Team was requested to document the scene (MCSO Case #25-10568).
Following the CSI team’s documentation, the vehicle was removed from the scene, and Parsippany Rescue and Recovery boarded up the damaged wall and window.
A GoFundMe account has been established for Jessica: https://gofund.me/2ac980b6
