A pedestrian was left with serious injuries after being struck by a dark-colored SUV on Passaic Avenue in Lodi early on Sept. 6, and police say the female driver actually got out of her vehicle and spoke briefly with the victim before fleeing into the night. The pedestrian had been crossing Passaic Avenue near 343 Passaic Ave. at around 2:13 a.m. when the SUV hit them, according to police.
Police say the driver did not immediately drive away. Instead, she stepped out of the SUV and exchanged words with the injured pedestrian before getting back behind the wheel and taking off, according to DailyVoice.com. The SUV was last seen continuing north on Passaic Avenue before turning left onto First Street and heading west, per the same outlet's reporting on the case.
Investigators have released video that shows the driver stepping out of the SUV and appearing to speak with the pedestrian in the moments after the crash, the report notes. The footage has become a key piece of the search for the woman behind the wheel, though her identity has not been determined.
What Police Are Asking the Public
Lodi police have not released details about the pedestrian's current condition beyond describing the injuries as serious, and no arrest or charge has been announced in connection with the crash. The department is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Caamano at 973-473-7600 ext. 8127, the article states.
The case echoes a string of recent hit-and-run crashes involving pedestrians across Bergen County. In a separate incident on Dec. 16, 2025, River Edge police responded to a serious pedestrian crash at Kinderkamack Road and Windsor Road, where investigators determined that a 2009 Nissan Sentra struck a 35-year-old woman as she attempted to cross the road before the driver fled, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. That pedestrian was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with serious injuries, the prosecutor's office said. There is no evidence tying that case to the Lodi crash.
A County Grappling With Pedestrian Safety
Bergen County's own traffic safety planning has flagged crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, along with aggressive driving and intersection collisions, as priority problem areas, according to a Local Safety Action Plan adopted this year. Statewide, pedestrian deaths actually fell by nearly 24%, from 230 in 2024 to 175 in 2025, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, which also reported driver fatalities dropped about 15% over the same period.
Leaving the scene of a crash that causes serious bodily injury can be charged as a third-degree crime under New Jersey law, according to a New Jersey Legislature statute excerpt, though it has not been established whether that charge applies to the Lodi case. For now, the search for the driver continues, with investigators hoping the released footage and the detail that she stopped to speak with the victim might help someone identify her.
