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Man on horseback helps N.J. police department locate hit-and-run driver

The man, who identified himself to police only as PJ, followed the car on his horse Shiny as the driver fled and was able to obtain a partial license plate, the Riverside PD said

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Riverside Police Department

By Jeff Goldman
nj.com

RIVERSIDE, N.J. — A man riding a horse through Riverside on Saturday morning helped police find a hit-and-run driver that struck a parked car.

The man — who identified himself to police only as PJ — followed the car aboard his horse Shiny as the driver fled and was able to obtain a partial license plate, Riverside police said.

Investigators used that information to track down the driver and charge the 22-year-old with careless driving, driving without a license, failure to report an accident and leaving the scene of an accident.

PJ told officers he was in Riverside to show his horse to friends and witnessed the crash.

A woman who lives in the neighborhood called police when she heard the crash and saw a car speeding away from a damaged vehicle.

“We want to thank the witnesses in this case for being observant, coming forward, and making the calls to our officers,” Riverside police said. “We’d especially like to thank PJ and his sidekick ‘Shiny’ for their efforts to get us the information that ultimately solved the case.”

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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