🚔 He Hit a Cop with His Car. Now He’s Getting 30 Years.

A Basking Ridge man who struck a police lieutenant with his vehicle while trying to flee in a stolen car has been sentenced to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison, and must serve 27 years before parole eligibility.

On January 28, Judge Peter J. Tober handed down the sentence to Brian A. Niziolek, 39, stemming from a violent June 29, 2023 incident in Manville.

According to prosecutors, officers approached Niziolek after receiving a report that he was driving a stolen vehicle. Instead of surrendering, authorities say he turned his wheels toward Lt. John Crater, accelerated, and struck him — hitting his arm and hip and throwing him into a police vehicle.

Then it escalated.

Investigators say Niziolek:

• Led police on a high-speed chase through Manville, topping 60 mph

• Drove the wrong way down a one-way street

• Crashed into another vehicle, then into a house

• Ran on foot and smashed through a basement window to hide in a crawl space

Officers from multiple agencies, including a K9 unit, surrounded the building and pulled him out of the crawl space.

Inside the vehicle, police recovered what they described as a MAC-11 style 9mm semi-automatic firearm, a 30-round high-capacity magazine, and a bulletproof vest.

Niziolek was convicted on multiple second- and third-degree charges, including aggravated assault, eluding, burglary while armed, and unlawful weapons possession.

And even during trial, prosecutors say his behavior made headlines. In December 2025, while being escorted into court, he allegedly spat on an attorney he believed was a witness. Authorities say he later admitted, “I f***ed up.” That charge remains pending.

For now, the sentence stands: 30 years behind bars — 27 before he can even ask for parole.