LEONIA, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Police are investigating after one person was killed in a car crash in Leonia early Saturday morning. The Leonia Police Department says they received a 911 call just after 4:45 a.m. reporting a car had crashed into a tree on Ridgeland Terrace near Nordhoff Drive then caught fire. When officers and firefighters arrived on the scene, the car was fully engulfed in flames. The driver was found dead in the vehicle as firefighters began to extinguish the fire. No one else was in the car. The victim has not yet been identified. Police say video taken shortly before the cra ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Some residents in Fort Lee are pushing back on a proposed plan that would remove trees from a park and replace them with fields and asphalt. “They want to level it to make a parking lot and an Astroturf facility,” Anastasio Zaharikutis told CBS2’s Meg Baker on Thursday. Residents who use Palisades Interstate Park off of North Central Road say they want to protect Mother Nature. A sign reads “Save this park.” Preliminary plans would cut down hundreds of trees to make way for a multi-purpose athletic field, 100 parking spaces, restrooms, a playground and a dog park ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A fire that raged at a Fort Lee, New Jersey apartment building is under investigation Sunday. Flame broke out at the building on Hudson Terrace and Myrtle Avenue near the Palisades Interstate Parkway on Saturday afternoon. The fire impacted power in the area for several hours. More than 100 customers remained without electricity Sunday morning. Video from the scene shows firefighters rescued at least one person from several floors up. A resident said she rushed home after getting a call from her neighbor. “I’m more concerned about my bird right now…. My life is he ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Crews continued to battle a blaze at a Fort Lee apartment building into the night Saturday. It started around 3:30 p.m. at a building on Hudson Terrace and Myrtle Avenue near the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Video shows firefighters rescuing at leat one person from several floors up. Intense flames could be seen coming out of windows and thick black smoke poured from the building. Crews were still working to put out flames around 9 p.m. Residents have been warned to avoid the area, and people living nearby can expect power outages into the night. The cause of the ..read more

PATERSON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A Fort Lee man is accused of pulling a fake gun and sexually assaulting a ride share driver. Prosecutors say Andrew Mendez, 30, attacked the driver back in February of 2020. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office says Mendez pulled out a fake gun and demanded his driver perform sexual acts and threatened to hurt her if she didn’t. The driver managed to get out of her car and call the police. Responding authorities found the fake gun in the back seat of the vehicle. Mendez faces sexual assault, weapons, terroristic threats and assault charges, and could get up to 1 ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Two teens used their downtime during the pandemic to bring more light into their neighborhoods. Their holiday light displays are sparking joy and the spirit of giving back. Every night at 5:30 p.m., 418 Center Street is the center of attention in Fort Lee. “Because of the pandemic, we needed to brighten up people’s spirits a little bit,” 16-year-old Cameron Baek said. For more on Cameron’s light show, visit Instagram.com/center_lightss. Cameron spent more than 200 hours while home during the pandemic programming 6,000 LEDs to run off of seven computers. “This is ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — The fact that more than 3.5 million voters already cast their ballots by mail in New Jersey meant lines were nonexistent Tuesday morning in Fort Lee. Kevin Giraldo pulled right up to the secure ballot box to cast his vote-by-mail ballot. “A little bit more calmer over here on this side,” he said. “It’s a lot more convenient. I think it’s easier. It’s also a lot safer.” Those showing up to vote in New Jersey fell into one of three categories. One was dropping off their vote-by-mail ballot in a secure ballot box, like Morgan Campbell. She said she got the go-ahead f ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police are investigating a shooting at a hotel in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office confirmed one person was shot at the Holiday Inn around 3:15 p.m. Thursday. The man was hospitalized in critical condition. It’s unclear what led up to the shooting. You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app. Download here ..read more

FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A lot of surgeries were put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, but now many of them are getting back on track. In New Jersey, one son helped give the gift of life to his own dad. Sitting in his own pizzeria, Jimmy Missiris enjoyed a fresh slice with his surgeon and his son, the two men who saved him. For the past few months, the longtime owner of Linwood Pizza in Fort Lee was not only struggling to keep his business alive, the 64-year-old was fighting to survive himself. “It was difficult,” Missiris told CBS2’s Jessica Layton. “I tried to balance everyth ..read more

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York has grown to 143, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. That makes it the state with largest number of confirmed cases in the country. In New York, most cases are in Westchester County, with New York City and Nassau County having the second and third most cases. In New Jersey, there are now 11 cases, with six additional ones identified Monday. New Jersey declared a state of emergency Monday night. Connecticut has two cases. As a result, there are more school closures in the area and the financial markets are taking a big hi ..read more