The New York Avenue victim complained of abdominal pain when officers responding to his family's 911 call found him on the sidewalk just after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Police Chief James O'Connor told Daily Voice.
"He said the Jeep had gotten away from him," O'Connor said. "He either was halfway in or outside the standard-shift vehicle and went to start it while it was in gear."
After crushing him against a fire hydrant, the vehicle continued across the street, through a backyard and into a deck, the chief said.
The victim was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he died a few hours later of what physicians believe were massive internal injuries, he said.
An autopsy was being conducted today. Police also were running the Jeep through tests to determine whether it can start while in gear.
"Just a tragedy," O'Connor said. "A real tragedy."
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