WAYNE — A North Arlington man suffered "critical injuries" when the car he was a passenger in collided with a van and hit a tree Friday on Ryerson Avenue, township police said.
Andrew L. Ortiz, 23, underwent surgery at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center after he was freed from the wreck by the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad and the Wayne Fire Department, according to police.
Ortiz was riding in a Chevrolet Malibu driven by 19-year-old Artim Sabani, of Wayne, when the westbound car smashed into a Ford van around 5:30 p.m., near Dorsa Avenue, police said in a statement. The van stayed on the roadway while the car slammed into a tree.
The van driver, Sean Story, 34, of Bloomingdale, and an unidentified passenger were not hurt, police added.
Emergency crews also extricated Sabani from the wreck, police said. He was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Wayne police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office were investigating and asked any witnesses to contact the township traffic bureau at 973-633-3520.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.