A resident of Old Bridge has been arrested and charged in connection with a hit-and-run incident that left an off-duty Aberdeen Township Police Department officer hospitalized, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced on Feb. 23.
Christopher Uszenski, 49, has been charged with first degree attempted murder and third degree knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision with serious bodily injury, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Shortly before 12:15 p.m. Feb. 21, members of the Aberdeen Township Police Department responded to a call for service originating from the area of North Concourse and Wayside Drive in the Cliffwood Beach section of Aberdeen Township.
The officers who responded to the scene found Aberdeen Township Police Lt. Craig Hausmann at that location. Hausmann had sustained injuries caused by a vehicle that had already left the scene, according to the preliminary investigation.
Authorities learned Hausmann had been attempting to stop a motorist from driving erratically in the area when he was struck.
The investigation, which also involved members of the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team and the Keyport and Old Bridge police departments, quickly led to Uszenski being identified as a suspect, according to the press release.
Uszenski and his vehicle, a Nissan Altima, were located on Pomona Boulevard in Old Bridge shortly thereafter, according to the press release.
Following his arrest, Uszenski was lodged in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, pending a first appearance in state Superior Court, Freehold.
Hausmann is a 20-year veteran of his department who currently oversees its Administration Division, according to Police Chief Matthew T. Lloyd.
“Lt. Hausmann remains hospitalized (as of Feb. 23) in stable condition and on behalf of the entire department, we extend to him our very best well wishes,” Lloyd said. “Despite being off-duty, he nonetheless was leveraging his many years of experience in vigilantly seeking to keep his community safe at the time of his injury and we cannot commend those efforts enough.”
If convicted of the attempted murder charge, Uszenski would face a term of up to 20 years in state prison, according to the press release.
Anyone who has information about or who witnessed any portion of the Feb. 21 incident is asked to call Detective Thomas Manzo of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or Aberdeen Police Detective Bruce Monro at 732-566-2054.