Tipster Helps Catch Mountainside Hit-and-Run Driver, Police Say

By Jessica Remo

A 911 caller helped Garwood police nab a man who fled the scene of an accident in Mountainside on Thursday.

According to Garwood police, a 911 caller reported a silver sedan traveling eastbound on South Avenue from Westfield into Garwood with severe front end damage and a flat tire. 

At the same time that call came in, Mountainside police requested assistance from surrounding agencies in locating a silver Toyota that had fled the scene of an accident on Route 22. 

Garwood police units were dispatched to the area of South Avenue on the border of Westfield and Garwood, and officers Dave Perrotta and Chris Czachorowski reported stopping a silver Toyota Corolla that matched the car's description. 

After an investigation, the driver, Brian Hannigan, 44, from Randolph, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated and issued several summonses. 

During the investigation a female passenger was found to have a minor head injury. She was treated at the scene by Cranford EMS but refused further medical attention.