Lincoln Ave, the main road that runs through Hawthorne and Glen Rock, is infamous for being a busy road that is generally much too dangerous for pedestrians to cross.

On Monday morning just after 6:30, the worst possible event occurred when a woman was killed in a fatal hit-and-run while attempting to cross  the roadway. The driver responsible for hitting her did not stop, and left her in the road where she was found by police who arrived on the scene after being called by witnesses. Unfortunately it was too late to save her, and she was pronounced dead at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood shortly after.

Witnesses say that the impact was so great she was thrown from one end of the roadway to the other leaving clothing scattered across the ground. The woman was later identified as 83-year-old Angela Sanzari of Hawthorne. 

After the incident authorities requested help from the public in locating the driver of the vehicle, who was last seen traveling northbound on the same road. Police described the car as a dark colored, older Honda CRV that was expected to have signs of front-end damage, which possibly included a damaged or missing front headlight and a missing windshield wiper.

Only two days later police pulled over 24-year-old David Romero, a Paterson factory worker who was driving a 2007 Honda CRV on Lincoln Ave, less than a block away from the spot where the incident took place. Not only did the car have a dented hood, but tape was also found on what was apparently a new replacement windshield. Pieces of clothing were also found in the grill of the car. Romero was interviewed by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Fatal Accident Investigation Unit who charged him with fleeing a fatal accident and endangering an injured victim. He was then taken to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack. 

Residents who live on Lincoln Ave have described the dangers of the county road. Monica Pilkington, who has lived on the road for decades and woke up to the scene outside her house, claimed that, “It’s bound to happen because the traffic is crazy.”

Pat Padovani, who lives a few houses down, stated, “I believe that people drive way too fast on this road and they definitely need to put crosswalks down, whether it’s from side streets or it’s across Lincoln Avenue.”

However, because the road falls into both Passaic and Bergen County it is difficult to know who is responsible for implementing crosswalks, but the hope is that something will be done after this terrible accident. 

This incident is a harsh reminder to always check for cars before you cross the street, and to be extra careful of pedestrians when you are driving.