Labor Day Weekend Hot-Pursuit by South Jersey Police Leads to The Crash That Nearly Killed A Local Firefighter and His Two Visiting Cousins
CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The families of three cousins who were critically injured by a motorist fleeing Voorhees Township Police in a high-speed chase are now receiving assistance from the national law firm of Grant & Eisenhofer in their search for answers and accountability from law enforcement, according to the Firm.
(Zachary MacBride (left) with father, David MacBride; Nadia Rouag and brother Jibril – Family Photos)
Zachary MacBride, 18, was driving with his cousins, Jibril and Nadia Rouag, 21 and 18, on the 700 block of Haddonfield-Berlin Road in Voorhees Township about 8:45 pm, Saturday, Aug. 31, when a stolen red Corvette broadsided Zach’s blue 2012 Honda Civic coupe; the engine block of the vehicle (representative stock image (l) and post-incident) was severed in the impact.
Paramedics transported the three cousins to Cooper University Hospital, where they each underwent surgeries for life-altering injuries. Nadia Rouag remains hospitalized.
The MacBride and Rouag families are now represented by attorneys at Grant & Eisenhofer, who specialize in catastrophic personal injuries. “The lives of these remarkable young adults were shattered on the night of August 31st, and they and their families deserve to know why,” said G&E’s legal team, led by Elizabeth A. Bailey, and includes attorneys Cindy Morgan and Steven Medina. A preliminary investigation into the crash has already raised “deeply troubling questions.” including:
- Why did Voorhees police engage in a high-speed chase in a high-density and residential area?
- Who in the local police command structure authorized “life-or-death” extraordinary hot-pursuit tactics?
- Were the officers that night sufficiently trained and supervised in the state’s stringent guidelines for hot-pursuit chases?
Zachary MacBride, of Medford, NJ, is a first-year student at Rowan College and a
fourth-generation (David, his father, is a Battalion Chief in the same fire-rescue company) volunteer firefighter in Medford, his home community. He also works as an EMT and a lifeguard. Jibril and Nadia Rouag were visiting New Jersey from San Francisco, Calif., with their parents to comfort their ailing grandmother and to be with family for the Labor Day weekend. Jibril is a senior at the University of California, Davis, majoring in materials science. He enjoys the outdoors and playing soccer. His sister, Nadia, a sophomore at the University of California at Irvine, is a chemistry major and an accomplished singer having performed at Carnegie Hall.
Earlier on the day of the accident, the three spent the afternoon fishing. Jibril took a photo of his sister, smiling and holding the first fish she ever caught. Zachary is behind her, standing on the fishing pier, reeling in a fish. "It was a good day," said their families. "The cousins relished their time together,” the attorneys said. “Their lives have been completely devastated.”
The G&E investigating attorneys said they look forward to constructively working with local and state authorities, including law enforcement, as their inquiry into the Voorhees Township crash progresses. They are also grateful for any information provided by eyewitnesses. Anyone with videos, photographs, or other information about the chase or crash, is encouraged to contact the legal team (see below).
Coverage Note: The Families of Zachary MacBride, and Jibril and Nadia Rouag respectfully request all press inquiries be directed to their Grant & Eisenhofer legal team.
Contacts:
Elizabeth A. Bailey / ebailey@gelaw.com / 302-622-7195
Steph Rosenfeld / steph@idadvisors.com / 215-514-4101
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d7f7837-1e0f-48ce-99e0-04065d5cdf9e
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