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Man accused of pushing Amazon driver into delivery truck and taking off

PATERSON, N.J. — Authorities arrested a man Thursday after police said he pushed an Amazon delivery driver into a company truck and took off in the vehicle.

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The incident happened after the delivery driver parked the truck near Straight Street and Fulton Street in Paterson, WABC-TV reported. A man pushed the driver into the truck and got behind the wheel, according to the news station.

Two Paterson police officers, identified as Manuel Lojo and J. Murray, were headed to an unrelated call around 3:30 p.m. when they saw the delivery driver trying to get out of the vehicle as the truck blew through a stop sign, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale told the South Passaic Daily Voice.

“They were quick-witted, able to see what was going on and act fast,” Speziale told NorthJersey.com. The kidnapped driver began to wave toward the officers, who tried to pull the vehicle over, according to the Daily Voice. The carjacker, identified by Speziale as 37-year-old Rafael Rodriguez, sped up instead, the news site reported.

As officers gave chase, Rodriguez pulled the Amazon truck onto railroad tracks and soon became stuck, WABC reported. He was arrested as he tried to run from the vehicle, according to the news station.

Spaziale praised Lojo and Murray after the arrest, telling NorthJersey.com that they “were able to see this, put it together and end it within five minutes.”

The news site reported that Rodriguez was taken to a hospital as a precaution after suffering minor scrapes and bruises in the pursuit. No other injuries were reported.

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