Car Plows Into Hoboken Building, Catches Fire

(ABOVE: Jason Thomas photo)

The Hoboken Police Department (HPD) have shared details of an incident we first reported on our social media platforms Sunday, where a car rammed into the building at 551 Observer Highway in Hoboken.

Car hits my building – catches fire – thank you HobokenHFD & HobokenHPD pic.twitter.com/o9ieHQL6im

— tony soares (@tonysoares) October 13, 2019

According to HPD, they were notified at 12:15 Sunday morning that the Hoboken Fire Department (HFD) and Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps (HVAC) were dispatched following a report of a serious motor vehicle accident. When officers arrived on the scene a mid-sized hatchback/SUV was engulfed in flames.

Tony Soares photo

The vehicle smashed into a concrete building column at the entrance to 551 Observer at a relatively high speed. Witnesses report that a passerby stopped and assisted two people out of the burning vehicle. The driver, 29 year-old Charles Schmidt of Jersey City, and his passenger suffered serious injuries and were transported to Jersey City Medical Center, after being initially treated by HFD and HVAC.

HPD discovered information on the scene that prompted them to charge Schmidt with Assault by Auto and Reckless Driving. This investigation remains ongoing with the possibility of additional charges.

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