A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle early Sunday morning near the intersection of Central Avenue and 2nd Street in Hackensack, and was found in traumatic arrest at the scene, prompting police to call in Bergen County's specialized fatal crash unit. Emergency crews responded to the crash site shortly before 1 a.m., and the victim's condition has not been officially confirmed by authorities as the investigation continues.
The crash was first reported by RLS Media, which described the incident as a developing story with crash circumstances still under investigation. Local police requested assistance from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Fatal Accident Investigation Squad, a specialized unit that investigates motor vehicle collisions involving fatal or serious bodily injuries where criminal recklessness or complex crash dynamics may be involved, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. The unit's involvement typically signals that authorities are treating the collision with the gravity reserved for cases involving potential criminal charges or severe bodily injuries.
A Troubling Pattern Along Hackensack Crosswalks
This is not the first serious crosswalk collision to rattle Hackensack in recent weeks. Just two and a half weeks earlier, on September 9, an NJ Transit bus struck two adult female pedestrians in a crosswalk on State Street, pinning one woman under a wheel and resulting in a failure-to-yield summons for the driver, as Hoodline previously reported. Days before that, on September 8, a pedestrian struck by a municipal Ford F-250 filed a civil lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court naming Hackensack, Bergen County, and the state of New Jersey as co-defendants over crosswalk safety and municipal liability, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage.
Intersection-related crashes contribute to Bergen County's traffic burden, according to traffic analysis by Grungo Law.
Pedestrians Make Up Nearly Half of County's Traffic Deaths
The Central Avenue crash lands amid a year in which pedestrians have borne a disproportionate share of Bergen County's road fatalities. As of September 27, the county had recorded 15 fatal traffic crashes resulting in 15 deaths year-to-date, including eight motor vehicle drivers and seven pedestrians, according to preliminary New Jersey State Police records.
That toll comes after a sharp statewide improvement the year before. Bergen County recorded seven pedestrian fatalities in 2025, a 68% drop from the 22 pedestrian deaths recorded in the county during 2024, according to state police crash figures reported by 70and73.com. Statewide, pedestrian fatalities fell nearly 24% in 2025 to 175 deaths, down from 230 in 2024 — a total that had marked a 36-year high — per the same outlet's reporting.
What New Jersey Law Requires of Drivers
New Jersey law places a clear legal duty on drivers when it comes to pedestrians. Under Statute 39:4-36, drivers must stop and remain stopped for pedestrians crossing within marked crosswalks, or yield at unmarked intersection crosswalks, with baseline violations carrying a $200 fine, two motor vehicle points, and up to 15 days of community service, according to Justia Law.
When a driver's failure to yield results in bodily injury, penalties escalate significantly — mandatory court appearances, fines between $100 and $500, up to 25 days in jail, and a license suspension of up to six months, according to Rosenblum Law. Such incidents may also involve civil or criminal liability. No charges have been announced in the Central Avenue case, and authorities have not said whether the driver remained at the scene or what role speed or lighting may have played in the overnight crash.
New Jersey has also moved to address pedestrian safety at the policy level. In January 2025, the state established the Target Zero Commission. Whether the commission's work will translate into changes on the ground in Hackensack remains to be seen as the Central Avenue investigation continues and the victim's condition remains unconfirmed.
