By: Richard L. Smith
An investigation is underway in Newark after a woman was struck by a vehicle and reportedly dragged beneath it to a supermarket parking lot, where she was later discovered dead.
According to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, police responded to the Extra Supermarket at 327 Lyons Avenue around 6:58 p.m. Friday, November 6, following reports of a woman trapped beneath a vehicle.
Investigators said the driver told police she was traveling south on Sherman Avenue when she struck something she initially believed was a black garbage bag.
Unaware that a person was beneath her vehicle, the driver reportedly continued to the supermarket, parked and went inside to make a purchase.
When she returned and attempted to reverse, the vehicle would not move. She then walked around the vehicle and discovered a woman underneath it.
Authorities said the driver immediately alerted a supermarket security officer, who contacted 911.
The unidentified woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation. No additional information has been released.