By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Newark are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the lives of two women late Saturday night, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda.
Police were dispatched to the intersection of Park Avenue and North 7th Street at approximately 11 p.m. on June 20 after receiving reports that two female pedestrians had been struck by a vehicle while crossing the street.
Preliminary information indicates the victims were in a marked crosswalk when they were hit by a vehicle traveling northbound on North 7th Street.
The driver fled the scene immediately following the collision.
The victims were identified as Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, of Elizabeth, and Maria Isabel DeLosAngeles Salgado Ayala, 61, of Newark.
Both women were transported to University Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Authorities have not released a description of the vehicle involved, and no arrests have been announced.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact investigators.