Edgewater Official Says Police Probing Whether Drivers Aimed Cars at Flooded Comfort Inn Lot

EDGEWATER, N.J. — Borough Administrator Greg Franz says Edgewater police are reviewing whether vehicles were purposely driven into a flooded Comfort Inn parking lot on River Road during last weekend’s nor’easter. As of this draft, neither the Edgewater Police Department nor the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has posted a public press release naming suspects, charges, or releasing the video Franz cites.

Franz — listed as borough administrator on the borough’s official site — told PIX11 that investigators are looking at whether some drivers put cars into water that residents already know rises along low-lying River Road in heavy rain and tidal surge, possibly seeking insurance payouts.

“These vehicles didn’t accidentally end up in this water,” Franz said in comments reported by PIX11. “We have video documentation of vehicles coming here, purposely driving into the flooded area.”

He later stressed to reporters that the remarks are allegations. Speaking to New Jersey 101.5, Franz also said there are “no victims” of a completed crime for police to treat as a finished case, while asserting that Edgewater police and the New Jersey Attorney General’s insurance-fraud unit are aware. Separately, in comments reported by Daily Voice, Franz said the state Department of Banking and Insurance and insurance carriers are aware of circulating social-media video.

Primary agencies: what is on the record

Borough (Franz): The highest-ranking municipal voice on the record is Franz. He alleges intentional driving or pushing after flooding was obvious and says video exists. He has not, in remarks reviewed for this draft, announced arrests.

Edgewater Police Department: A check of the department’s municipal pages (Chief Donald Martin; HQ at 55 River Road) and borough CivicAlerts through Sept. 28–30 found no press release or police alert announcing a Comfort Inn lot insurance-fraud investigation, charges, or evidence release. Franz’s statements remain the public claim that local police are involved.

Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office: BCPO’s late-September 2026 press-release feed lists other cases but no Comfort Inn / River Road flood or intentional-drive insurance probe. BCPO’s Financial Crimes Unit handles insurance fraud as a standing mission — that is not a case-specific statement tying this lot to a BCPO investigation.

State AG / OIFP: No New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor press release matching this Edgewater flood incident was located. Franz’s claim that the AG fraud unit is “aware” is his statement, not a published OIFP charging document.

What fits — and what doesn’t

The Comfort Inn at 725 River Road sits in a corridor the borough has long treated as flood-prone. That makes “cars trapped in place” plausible — and makes Franz’s timeline claim more consequential if it holds: coverage citing PIX11 describes additional vehicles appearing after rescues, not only cars parked before the surge.

Who would benefit if the intentional-drive theory is true? Owners or others seeking total-loss payouts; insurers and fraud prosecutors are the counterparties. Who benefits if it is overstated? Attention without charges. The gap that matters is institutional: a borough administrator is speaking, while PD, BCPO, and OIFP have not matched him with their own public case statements.

Secondary outlets report luxury vehicles among those recovered, including a BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes-Benz (one account placed an S580 near $130,000). Those details are attributed to PIX11-linked reporting and have not been confirmed in an Edgewater PD or BCPO release.

Hotel status

Despite the flooded lot, staff told reporters the Comfort Inn remained open and directed guests to enter closer to the tennis court while waiting for water to recede.

Open questions for verification

• Will Chief Martin’s department or BCPO confirm an active investigation on the record?
• Will either agency — or OIFP — release or authenticate the video Franz cites?
• Have any owners been identified, interviewed, or charged?
• Have insurers filed formal referrals after total-loss claims from this lot?

Until PD, BCPO, or OIFP speak in their own names, Bergen TV treats the intentional-drive narrative as Franz’s allegation under review — not as a charged insurance-fraud ring.