New Video Released In Police-Involved Fatal Crash In Camden

CAMDEN, NJ — The Attorney General's Office has released security and body camera footage as it continues its investigation into a fatal crash last month in which a Camden County police car struck a 66-year-old Camden woman. (See video below. WARNING: Graphic footage and language.)

Footage from one private security camera, which was released on Thursday, shows the car entering the frame from off-camera after having already hit the woman, previously identified as Zendra Baez.

As the car breaks to a halt, Baez is thrown from the hood of the car and slides several feet before coming to a stop. The officer’s body-worn camera footage shows the officer calling in the incident as he frantically exits his car.

"Male hit, male hit," the officer said, requesting an ambulance as he got out of the car and approached Baez. "Male unconscious, bleeding from the head."

Speaking to someone off-camera at the end of the video, the officer tells that person, "he's dead."

"All of the known evidence from the preliminary investigation points to this being a tragic accident," a Camden County spokesman said, referring further comment to the Attorney General's Office.

In all, footage from two private security cameras and footage from the officer's body-worn camera were released. Detectives discussed the matter with Baez's family and provided copies for them to review before releasing them.

The three videos released on Thursday are all redacted. The security camera videos are each less than one minute long, and the video from the body camera footage is a little longer than two minutes.

Baez was crossing Mount Ephraim Avenue at Woodlynne Avenue at about 10:55 p.m. on June 9 when she was struck, according to the Attorney General's Office. Read more here: Camden Police Car Strikes, Kills Woman; State Investigating

At the time of the crash, the officer was on-duty and driving a marked patrol car, but wasn't responding to any police alert at the time, according to the Attorney General's Office.

He immediately stopped and radioed for help, authorities said. Baez was pronounced dead at the scene at about 11:09 p.m.

Under state law passed in January 2019, the Attorney General's Office is required to investigate a person's death when it occurs during an encounter with a police officer who is acting in an official capacity, or while the victim is in custody.