Middletown Residents 'In Shock' Over Pedestrian Killed Monday

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The people who live and work near where a woman was fatally struck by a car Monday morning in Middletown say they are in shock at the tragedy — but some also add they've been nervous about Main Street for years.

The woman, who has not yet been identified by police, was hit by a car at 8:47 a.m. Monday at Main Street and Hunters Pointe, very close to the busy intersection of Palmer Avenue and Middle Road, which sits on the Middletown-Holmdel border and has a light. She was wearing headphones when she was struck, said Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, and she may have been in the middle of the street, not in a crosswalk, he said. She was taken to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, where she was pronounced dead. The driver that hit her stayed at the scene and is fully cooperating with police, he said.

"When something like this happens, the suddenness of it is hard to grapple with," said Scharfenberger Monday afternoon. "It's such tragedy."

Police are still investigating how the accident occurred and would not release any further details about how she was hit, said Lt. Paul Bailey of Middletown PD. As of Monday afternoon, her next of kin had not been notified.

Josephine Agostinacchio works as the office manager at Middletown Dental, which sits less than a block away from where the woman was struck. She also lives just three blocks away.

"This morning was so horrible, we're all in shock," she told Patch. "Patients saw it coming in this morning."

It's a roadway that's taken a life before. A young woman hit a lawn maintenance worker mowing grass at Main Street and Palmer a few years ago, and he died.

"This intersection is a sore spot. I've worked in this dental practice for 23 years and I've probably seen at least 10 car accidents here easily, some of which end up in our front lawn," she said.

Agostinacchio said she sees a lot of young teens driving too fast approaching the intersection.

"Everybody tries to beat that darn red light," she said. "And there are also a lot of joggers around here. I think the Middletown track team even used to run through here. I've been working here for years and I'm always just dreading seeing an accident or someone get hit."

Mayor Scharfenberger said he will review how many complaints the intersection has gotten and see if there's anything the Township can do.

"We're actively trying to crack down on speeding all over the Township," he said. "Now, whether this was human error or not, we're waiting for the police to conclude their investigation and get all the facts."

"I don't think the intersection is too bad," said Ehab Gabr, a 25-year resident of Middletown who said he commutes down Palmer Ave. up to four times a day. "There is always a cop car there trying to get people who run the light, either from Middletown, Holmdel or Hazlet or sometimes a car from each town. But it sucks to hear this happened, though."

Pictured: A view looking down Main Street at Hunters Pointe in Middletown/Google Earth

Related: Serious Car Accident In Middletown Monday Morning; Pedestrian Killed