Authorities said the driver fled north on North 7th Street after striking the pedestrians late Saturday.
NEWARK, NJ — Two women were killed Saturday night after a vehicle struck them in a Newark crosswalk and fled, authorities said, leaving investigators searching for the driver in a fatal crash at Park Avenue and North 7th Street.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said the crash remains under active investigation. The deaths have drawn new attention to a busy stretch of Park Avenue where residents said speeding has long been a concern. No arrest had been announced as of Monday, and officials had not released a full public description of the vehicle or driver.
Newark police received a report at about 11 p.m. Saturday that two female pedestrians had been struck while in the crosswalk at Park Avenue and North 7th Street, officials said. The vehicle continued north on North 7th Street and left the scene. Local video from the area showed the moments after the crash, with witnesses reacting in shock as people rushed toward the intersection. Manuel Candelaria, a witness, said the traffic light was changing before the vehicle moved through the crossing. “He put the gas,” Candelaria said, describing what he saw just before the impact.
The victims were identified as Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, of Elizabeth, and Maria Isabel DeLosAngeles Salgado Ayala, 61, of Newark. Both women were taken to University Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead, officials said. The women had been walking in the crosswalk when they were struck, according to the preliminary account released by authorities. A local report said they were friends and had recently been at a World Cup watch party before the crash. Officials have not said whether speed, impairment, traffic signals or any other factor caused the crash. They also have not said whether investigators have recovered the vehicle.
The intersection sits in Newark’s North Ward, near homes, small businesses and a firehouse. First responders from the nearby firehouse rushed to help after the crash, according to a local report. Residents told a television station that speeding is a common problem along parts of Park Avenue, including near the intersection where the women were hit. One Newark resident, identified as Judite, called the area “very dangerous” and said some drivers continue through lights at high speed. The comments added a neighborhood view to an investigation that officials have so far described only in limited terms.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation with Newark authorities. Prosecutors said Monday that the case remains active and ongoing, and no additional information was available at the time of their announcement. Investigators are expected to review video from nearby buildings, traffic cameras and private security systems as they work to identify the vehicle and driver. Authorities also may seek witness statements from people who were near Park Avenue and North 7th Street around 11 p.m. Saturday. As of Monday, no charges had been filed publicly.
Family members and neighbors described a scene of grief and disbelief after the crash. Jeffrey Chacon, a cousin of Valverde Beltran, said relatives were left with the painful task of notifying family members outside the United States, including in Ecuador. He said the driver would have to live with what happened. Witnesses said the collision happened quickly, and people nearby moved toward the women after the vehicle kept going. The crash left two families mourning and a neighborhood waiting for answers about who was behind the wheel.
The investigation remained open Monday, June 22. Authorities had not announced an arrest, and the next major step is the identification of the vehicle and driver involved in the fatal crash.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.