Dennis Schmatz, a 73-year-old avid runner and grandfather from Flemington, died on August 27 from injuries he suffered when a motor vehicle struck him while he was running at the intersection of Elwood Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. He was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital following the crash, and authorities say the vehicle was driven by a 30-year-old Flemington woman. It was not immediately clear whether charges would be filed as investigators continued to examine what happened.
According to NJ.com, the crash drew a multi-agency response that included the Readington Township Police Department, the Flemington Borough Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, and the Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad. The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office Serious Crash Investigation Team also responded, and the prosecutor's office has confirmed that Schmatz was struck by a vehicle at the Flemington intersection. Authorities have said the crash remains under investigation and that it has not yet been determined whether charges will be filed.
A Half-Century at ExxonMobil, A Life Built Around Running
Schmatz spent 50 years at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company, retiring after a career there as a senior research technician, per the same NJ.com report. He also served as an adjunct professor of physics at Kean College of New Jersey — now Kean University — from 1980 to 1985. But it was running that came to define much of his public life in Hunterdon County.
Schmatz was a founding member of the Hill Runners of Hunterdon running club in 1999 and served as its first vice president, later holding the roles of club president and past president, according to his obituary published by Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services. The club was established in 1999, and Schmatz remained involved in its leadership. The club, established in 1999, organizes year-round group runs across Hunterdon County municipalities including Annandale, Readington, and Clinton, according to the Hill Runners of Hunterdon, which hosts weekly Saturday and Sunday morning runs for participants of varying ages and abilities.
Schmatz was a regular participant in major regional and national events, including the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Spring Lake Five Mile Run, and the Celebrate Life Half Marathon, per NJ.com. Closer to home, during the annual Flemington Turkey Trot 5K, he established a community tradition of carrying the Hill Runners of Hunterdon banner for the entire 3.1-mile course alongside a co-runner, according to his obituary.
Family, Funeral Arrangements, and a Community's Response
Schmatz had three children and seven grandchildren, and is survived by his former wife, Rene Schmatz, while he was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Deborah Valdespino, according to an obituary posted on Echovita. His obituary noted that he left behind many people with personal stories about his kindness and support.
Visitation was scheduled for Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Flemington, with a Catholic vigil at 8:30 p.m. Additional visitation was scheduled Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m., followed by prayers. Prayers and a Mass of Christian Burial are set for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at St. Magdalen Church in Flemington, with entombment to follow at Woodbridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleums in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
In lieu of flowers, the family has designated the Hill Runners of Hunterdon to receive memorial contributions in Schmatz's honor. Donations can be mailed to 723 County Road 625, Hampton, NJ 08827, or submitted through the club's website.
New Jersey's Crosswalk Law and the State's Pedestrian Crash Toll
The crash has drawn renewed attention to New Jersey's pedestrian right-of-way rules. Under the state's “Stop and Stay Stopped” pedestrian law, N.J.S.A. 39:4-36, drivers are legally required to come to a complete stop for pedestrians crossing inside marked crosswalks and to yield to pedestrians at unmarked intersection crosswalks, according to the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center. The same law also requires pedestrians to exercise due care and yield when crossing outside crosswalks.
Drivers who fail to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk face a mandatory $200 fine, up to 15 days of community service, and four points on their driving record, according to Mandelbaum Barrett PC, which notes that New Jersey strengthened its crosswalk statute in 2010 to require full stops rather than simple yielding in marked crosswalks. Pedestrian fatalities in New Jersey historically account for roughly 30% of all motor vehicle deaths statewide, a proportion substantially higher than the national average, according to the Sea Girt Police Department. Statewide crash analyses have separately shown that an average of 264 pedestrians suffer severe injuries on New Jersey roadways, per Rosenblum Law.
Locally, Pennsylvania Avenue and Elwood Avenue intersect at the location where Schmatz was struck. As the investigation into Schmatz's death continues, the intersection where he was struck remains under scrutiny from both residents and the agencies still piecing together what happened that day.
