TeensVolunteer firefighter Luke Stein has been accused of ramming a car and intentionally injuring five teens just after midnight on Monday. Here’s everything you need to know about the Luke Stein car accident, who is he, and who are the five teens struggling for life in the hospital?
In addition to that, Stein allegedly pursued the teenagers at a high rate of speed and flashed emergency lights he used as a volunteer firefighter before crashing into the rear of the vehicle.
Luke Stein Car Accident: What Happened?
Luke Stein, 18, an Alpine volunteer firefighter is accused of intentionally ramming a car full of teenagers just after midnight on Monday, October 10, 2022, near the Montammy Golf Club. Stein bumped the vehicle from behind which made it crash and the five teens were seriously injured in the crash.
Before that, Stein arrived at a house party after hearing that a friend had been assaulted. He then left with his friends in his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Stein flashed the emergency lights that he used while working as a volunteer firefighter.
He began chasing the Honda Pilot and bumped into the vehicle twice as both vehicles headed down Route 9W in Alpine. The speed of the vehicles reached 100mph and above as revealed by a witness that followed the two vehicles.
The Honda then crashed in the woods but Stein pulled into the golf club to continue finding the vehicle. However, he left eventually but received an emergency alert on his way home. Stein then reported to the Alpine Fire/EMS headquarters and returned to the scene with them.
Who is Luke Stein?
Luke Stein is an 18-year-old boy from Cresskill, Bergen County, New Jersey. He is a volunteer firefighter in Alpine. Stein was a former wrestler at Cresskill High School. He is 5 ft 8 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
Stein became a volunteer firefighter in Alpine in February and in Demarest in July as per the records. He drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee and owned emergency lights. Stein lived with his family in Cresskill.
The 5-foot-8-inch, 140-pound Stein became a volunteer firefighter both in Alpine, in February, and in Demarest in July, records show. Stein is also a student at the University of Colorado.
Luke Stein Detained in Boulder County Jail
Detectives from Prosecutor Musella’s Fatal Accident Investigations Unit charged Stein with multiple counts including aggravated assault- for the high-speed pursuit with emergency lights flashing and impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Luke Stein was arrested and taken into custody on a warrant by police at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He will remain held in the Boulder County Jail pending extradition proceedings to return him back to New Jersey.
He’ll face the charges in Superior Court in Hackensack there. Elizabeth Rebein, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office didn’t share the current condition of the injured teenagers and only revealed that they are alive in the hospital.
Who are the Five Teens Injured by Luke Stein Car Accident?
Luke Stein left five teenagers seriously injured after ramming his Jeep into their Honda and making the vehicle crash into woods. The teens have been identified as Ariana Grant, Lital Aburus, Jonathan Battaglia, Mikkel Leutgeb, and Kevin Trejos.
Two of these are critically injured while the other two have sustained severe injuries. A fifth passenger is under serious care right now. Reportedly, their conditions are stable and they are getting treatment for the injuries sustained in the crash.
Kevin Trejos climbed out of the car despite having serious injuries and called 911 to help his friends flee. He has been accredited as the life savior of the other four teens.
Ariana Grant has a severely lacerated scalp, broken lips, pierced lungs, fractured vertebrae in her neck and spine, and a broken arm and ankle. Jonathan Battaglia has punctured lungs, a broken leg, several fractures, a gash in his head, and brain hemorrhaging.
Mikkel Leutgeb has a fractured lumbar, a broken leg, and facial damage while Lital Aburus underwent a 7-hour-long surgery on her shattered arm, back, broken jaw, teeth, and palate.
All of them are admitted to the Hackensack University Medical Center. We’ll keep you posted on their condition. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for their treatment.
The motive behind the incident is unknown at the time of writing. Luke Stein was allegedly a stranger to the injured teenagers.
This is a developing story. We’ll keep you updated on the latest developments.