Man In Mustang Struck Pedestrian And Left Scene, Bergen County Prosecutor Charges

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Lodi man, 76, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash in which a woman was seriously injured, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said Monday.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of John Laiosa after an investigation in Hackensack.

Prosecutors said that the Hackensack police received a 911 call about a hit-and-run crash on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2023, at approximately 8:47 p.m., at the intersection of Essex and Lehigh streets.

A pedestrian, a 65-year-old Hackensack woman, was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment of serious bodily injuries.

An investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit and the Hackensack Police Department determined that a 2019 Ford Mustang operated by Laoisa struck the victim as she crossed Essex Street, prosecutors said, and that the driver fled the area prior to police arrival.

Laiosa was charged with third-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury, prosecutors said.

He was also issued motor vehicle summonses for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and failure to report a motor vehicle accident, prosecutors said.

He was released on his own recognizance pending his first appearance in Central Judicial
Processing Court in Hackensack.