By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of a Caldwell woman Friday evening.
Theodore N. Stephens II and Nichele L. Patrick said the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, in the 400 block of Bloomfield Avenue.
According to investigators, officers from the Caldwell Police Department responded to reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle and found Sharon Thomas, 56, of Caldwell, unconscious in the roadway.
She was transported to Mountainside Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased at 7:22 p.m.
Witnesses told police that Thomas had just exited an NJ Transit bus and was crossing Bloomfield Avenue when she was struck by a vehicle.
After the initial impact, the driver reportedly stopped, exited the vehicle, looked at the victim lying in the roadway, then returned to the vehicle and fled the scene.
A second vehicle subsequently struck Thomas while she was in the roadway. That driver pulled over and remained at the scene.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
No additional information has been released at this time. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Caldwell Police Department.