CRIME

Trenton man charged after hitting Bordentown Township cop with car

George Woolston
gwoolston@thebct.com

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — A Trenton man has been charged after striking a township police officer and fleeing the scene, Bordentown Township police announced.

Jason Spencer, 34, of South Broad Street, was charged Monday with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

According to police, the incident occurred around 5:15 p.m. along Rising Sun Road near the Petro Truck Stop. Patrolman Joshua Gardner was walking back to his patrol car during a traffic stop when the driver of 2020 Buick Regal allegedly sped by and hit Gardner in the arm with the passenger-side mirror.

The driver, later identified as Spencer, did not stop, police said. Gardner would pursue the Buick and arrest Spencer without incident behind a warehouse on Hedding Road, police said.

Spencer was also charged with other moving violations and is currently held in Burlington County Jail.

Gardner was treated at RWJ University Hospital Hamilton for minor injuries and released.

Bordentown Township police Chief Brian Pesce said the incident is a "sobering" reminder that drivers must slow down and move over when approaching an emergency vehicle.

“This incident underscores the inherent risk our officers face on a daily basis while performing their duties. Ptl. Gardner could have been seriously or critically injured," Pesce said in a statement.