PARAMUS, Bergen County, N.J., Oct. 13, 2026 — Three people suffered serious injuries early Monday morning, October 12, when their car left southbound Route 17 in Paramus and struck a utility pole, according to police. The crash happened near the Garden State Parkway and Century Road around 3:20 a.m.
The vehicle left the roadway and hit the pole hard enough to leave it split or structurally compromised, Paramus Deputy Police Chief Frank Scott said. Officers had to remove one passenger from the car, while the other two occupants got out on their own before or around the time police arrived. All three were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, a Level I trauma center, with injuries described as serious and potentially life-threatening.
The right shoulder of Route 17 remained closed as of midmorning Monday while crews worked near the damaged pole.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. We hope those injured make a full recovery.
Why Do Cars Leave the Road and Strike Fixed Objects Like Utility Poles?
Crashes where a vehicle runs off the road and hits a pole or tree usually start with a small loss of control that a driver cannot correct in time. Drowsiness, distraction, a brief swerve to avoid debris or another vehicle, or simply misjudging a curve at highway speed can send a car onto the shoulder before the driver reacts. At 3 a.m., fatigue and reduced visibility are common factors, though no cause has been confirmed in this case.
What happens after the vehicle leaves the pavement often decides how severe the injuries are. A pole does not give way the way a guardrail is designed to, so the impact transfers more force directly into the cabin. Seat belts keep occupants from being thrown into the dashboard, windshield, or each other, and modern side airbags and reinforced door frames help absorb some of that force before it reaches the people inside. Cars without updated safety equipment, or occupants not wearing belts, tend to come away with harder hits and more severe injuries in otherwise similar crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 6,138,359 police-reported traffic crashes occurred in 2023. Most involve some combination of driver error and road conditions rather than a single clear cause, which is part of why single-vehicle, run-off-road crashes remain hard to predict and prevent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a driver do to lower the odds of a run-off-road crash?
Staying well-rested, avoiding phone use behind the wheel, and slowing down on unfamiliar or poorly lit stretches of road all help a driver react in time if the car starts to drift.
What injuries are most common when a car strikes a fixed object like a pole?
Head, neck, and chest injuries are frequent, along with broken bones and internal injuries from the sudden stop. Seat belts and airbags reduce the severity but do not eliminate the risk.
What usually causes these kinds of crashes?
Distraction, fatigue, speeding, and impaired driving are the most commonly cited factors in single-vehicle crashes, though any specific cause must be confirmed by investigators.
Does speed make a real difference in outcome?
Yes. Higher speed means more force at impact, longer stopping distances, and less time for a driver to correct course once the car starts to leave the road.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Paramus, NJ
If you're involved in a crash in Paramus, call 911 right away and stay as safe as possible away from traffic until help arrives. Even if injuries seem minor, a medical evaluation is worth getting promptly, since some injuries from a hard impact don't show symptoms immediately. Take photos of the scene if it's safe to do so, get the names and badge numbers of responding officers, and request a copy of the official crash report once it's available. If a utility pole or other roadside equipment was damaged, note that too, since repair timelines can affect nearby traffic for days afterward.
