Newark Man Charged After Deadly Hit-And-Run Killed Two Women Crossing Street
What happened
Where it happened
- Newark, Essex County.
What remains unclear
- According to investigators, Zapata-Vera struck two women who were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk before driving away without stopping to render aid or notify authorities.
- The investigation remains active.
- Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators.
Just days after two women were fatally struck while crossing a Newark street, the driver accused of fleeing the scene has surrendered to authorities and now faces multiple homicide charges.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Newark Department of Public Safety announced that 26-year-old David J. Zapata-Vera turned himself in to police Tuesday following the June 20 hit-and-run at the intersection of Park Avenue and North 7th Street.
According to investigators, Zapata-Vera struck two women who were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk before driving away without stopping to render aid or notify authorities.
The victims were identified as Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, of Elizabeth, and Maria Isabel DeLosAngeles Salgado Ayala, 61, of Newark. Both were transported to University Hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
Zapata-Vera has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, and two counts of endangering an injured victim.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators.
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