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Clifton Woman Charged with Lying About Fatal Pedestrian Strike

Clifton

Authorities in Passaic County said Digna A. Lazala, 63, of Randolph was charged on Thursday with obstructing and hindering the investigation of a fatal motor vehicle accident that took place on August 3, in the parking lot of the Aldi supermarket in Clifton.

Passaic County officials said Lazala was also issued a traffic summons for Careless Driving and Failure to Report an Accident.

Officials sat on Wednesday August 3, Ms. Lazala was driving a 2010 Honda Pilot in the parking lot of Aldi, located at 56 Lakeview Avenue in Clifton when she struck Chloe Villar-Severino, 31, of Clifton. 

Ms. Villar-Severino was transported to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson where doctors pronounced her dead on August 4.

Police said although Ms. Lazala was driving the car that struck Ms. Villar-Severino, she told police that she was not involved in the collision.

The sentencing exposure on disorderly persons offenses is up to 6 months in jail.

Ms. Lazala’s charges and traffic summons were transferred to the Clifton Municipal Court, and she was released pending further court proceedings.

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