'Justice' After Horrific Point Pleasant Boro Hit-And-Run: Mom

POINT PLEASANT BORO – Emma Mae, then 14, was struck while riding her bike, and then "carried" by the car that hit her for a "distance."

She was then thrown and, essentially, left for dead, her family and prosecutors said.

A year later, her mom says she finally got "justice."

Two people pleaded guilty Monday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left the 14-year-old Point Pleasant Boro girl in critical condition last year, police said.

Brittany Keifer, 27, of Point Pleasant and Kyle Ramos, 29 of Seaside Heights pleaded guilty a year after they were arrested in connection with the Aug. 9, 2018 crash that left Emma Mae Gnolfo in recovery for more than a month, police said.

Keifer pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Ramos pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension or prosecution, according to the OCPO.

Prosecutors will be seeking a term of 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation for Keifer and a term of probation for Ramos.

"It’s been a very emotional morning having to sit there and listen to it all and relive that day, but they finally admitted being guilty and sentencing is scheduled for February 7th," Emma Mae's mother, Stephanie Gnolfo, told Patch.

"Justice will truly be served in their sentencing," she added. "We will hope for the best that justice will be served. Such a weight lifted from our shoulders today. Thank you to everyone for all the love and support. Means the world to Emma and myself."

Keifer, who was identified as the hit-and-run driver, turned herself in at police headquarters accompanied by an attorney after she drove home and her car was hidden under a tarp, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

After Keifer fled the scene, she contacted Ramos to pick her up at a location several blocks away in Point Pleasant Boro, the OCPO said. Ramos assisted Keifer in hiding the vehicle and attempted to have the vehicle repaired in an effort to hinder the investigation, according the OCPO.

Emma Mae, a talented and popular cheerleader, was in outpatient care after she was hospitalized following the crash. She was set to begin her freshman year at Point Pleasant Boro High School when the crash happened.

The community, meanwhile, did all they could to keep her spirits up.

Emma Mae and Stephanie Gnolfo were presented with a $15,153 check by the Point Pleasant Chamber of Commerce following Point Pleasant Boro Give Back Day on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2018.

Local businesses asked for donations for Emma, a cheerleader who has performed publicly in various exhibitions.

"She's just an incredible young woman," said her friend, Kristen Cutrona, who had put together a GoFundMe page to help support her recovery. "Smart, talented and an absolute sweetheart."

Read more: Arrest In Hit-And-Run That Critically Hurt Point Pleasant Girl

The incident happened at approximately 10:31 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2018 when the Point Pleasant Boro Police Department responded to the area of Route 88 and Sunset Avenue on a report of a hit-and-run accident, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

The preliminary investigation found that a black sedan traveling eastbound on Route 88 struck the 14-year-old bicyclist as she attempted to cross Route 88, according to the OCPO.

The eastbound vehicle struck Emma Mae as she traveled in a north-to-southbound direction, approximately 150 feet east of the Route 88 and Sunset Avenue intersection, according to the OCPO.

The bicyclist was struck by the front passenger portion of the vehicle, which caused her to roll onto the windshield and hood of the vehicle, the OCPO said.

The vehicle's driver continued driving after the impact, carrying the girl on the vehicle hood for a distance before she was thrown from of the vehicle, the OCPO said.

The black sedan then continued eastbound on Route 88 and fled the scene. The suspect's vehicle possibly sustained damage to the front-end and windshield.

Emma Mae was initially located in critical care on the pediatric ICU floor at Jersey Shore Medical Center.