2 Bergen County Drivers, 94, Killed Pedestrians 2 Days Apart. Should Seniors Be Re-Tested?

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Two separate 94-year-old drivers struck and killed pedestrians in Bergen County within a two-day period this month, drawing comments from readers about a long-argued debate: Should drivers re-take vision, cognitive, or road tests past a certain age?

New Jersey does not mandate an eye, physical, or road test for older drivers.

In fact, only a handful of states require vision tests for older drivers, and only one state — Illinois — requires drivers to retake a road test past 75. Some lawmakers want to get rid of that mandate, too.

Various North Jersey officials declined to comment on the issue when asked about it by Patch last week, showing how politically unpopular it is. And statistics show that younger drivers are more likely to crash.

According to the American Automobile Association, drivers age 16 and 17 are the most likely to be involved in a car crash in America. However, drivers over 80 are the third largest cohort, after drivers 16-17 and 18-19 — and they're also the most likely to wind up in a fatal crash, the AAA says.

The New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles encourages people to urge impaired drivers to stay off the road.

"If you have a family member who has difficulty driving because of a medical condition, you should report the situation to the MVC's Medical Review Unit," says the state of New Jersey. "They will evaluate the driver and determine if their driving privileges should be restricted."

But what if someone is impaired and has no one to report them?

Patch Readers Respond

The first of the two recent crashes was on Thursday, March 14. Ernest F. Hofmann, 94, of Bergenfield, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Dumont. The victim was Elizabeth Feliciano-Rosa, 54, otherwise known as "Mrs. Rosa" — a beloved elementary school teacher in Englewood. (Read more about her here.)

The second crash took place in the parking lot of the Paramus Library two days later, on Saturday, March 16.

According to Chief Robert Guidetti, a 94-year-old driver dragged a 75-year-old woman for 20 feet. Helen Koons, 75, was taken to the hospital and later succumbed to her injuries. The driver, Claire Plager, 94, of Paramus, was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and careless driving.

There was also another fatal crash earlier that week, on Monday, March 11, in which a 91-year-old man from West New York lost control of his pickup truck on Route 80 in Wayne and crashed into a center median, then was hit by a tractor-trailer. The driver, Francisco Crespo, later died of his injuries.

Readers Respond

Patch readers responded to the stories with some concern.

"An addled senior shouldn't be driving a motor vehicle!" remarked a reader of Brick Patch, about the Paramus incident. "They should be home, running for president."

"You win the internet today," responded another.

"All people after a certain age should have to take their driving test over," opined one reader. "They are a danger on the road to all of us."

"Unfortunately they are one of the largest voting blocks," responded another. "Also it's a great idea until you're that age."

The AARP argues that older drivers are becoming safer drivers, but has tips for elderly drivers in their article: "Older Drivers Can Be Safer Drivers — With Support." You can find it here.

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