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79-Year-Old Woman Walking Dog Hit by Car Police Were Pursuing

A 79-year-old woman walking her dog was seriously injured when she was struck by a car police were chasing Thursday in New Jersey, authorities said.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, a gold 2002 Nissan Sentra jumped a curb and hit the woman just before noon near Branch Brook Park in Newark. The car also struck a Mercury Sable, injuring a driver and passenger.

All three were taken to a nearby hospital, where the woman remains in serious condition, prosecutors said. The others had less serious injuries. The woman's dog is also said to have survived.

Mike Wiston, who saw the aftermath of the crash from his apartment, said he recognized the woman from the neighborhood.

"Every time I ran into her I either saw her with a shopping cart or with her dog in a stroller and she used to walk with that support," Wiston told NBC 4 New York. "The driver should have stopped for her because she had a walking problem, she wouldn't have been able to run even if she saw the car coming."

Authorities have not released the names of anyone involved or any information regarding what sparked the police chase.

The 20-year-old driver of the Nissan is in police custody but has yet to be charged, officials said.

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