A pedestrian died yesterday after being struck by an automobile that immediately drove away. The crash would represent the year’s eighth hit-and-run involving a pedestrian.
According to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, Ralph Haynes, 55, of Jersey City was struck at approximately 12:31 a.m. on Sunday in the area of Stegman Avenue and Garfield Avenue. The vehicle that hit Haynes did not remain at the scene.
Haynes was taken by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:38 p.m.
Colin DeVries of Safe Streets Jersey City termed crashes involving pedestrians an “epidemic.”
Reducing traffic fatalities has been a priority of both the Fulop administration and local advocacy groups like Safe Streets Jersey City and Bike JC. In 2018, Jersey City became the first city in New Jersey to adopt Vision Zero, the international traffic safety framework that set a goal of zero traffic fatalities. In 2022, Jersey City logged zero traffic deaths.
However, Mayor Fulop has resisted pressure to call for the resignation of Councilwoman Amy DeGise. CCTV footage from July of last year showed DeGise’s black SUV striking a bicyclist as she drove through the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street.
On January 24, DeGise pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a one year suspension of her driver’s license along with a $5,000 fine.
The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and the Jersey City Police Department are actively investigating this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip. All information will be kept confidential.