Crime & Safety

Driver ID'd In Fatal N. Plainfield Hit And Run, Flees Country

Mario Infante of Plainfield was identified as the driver who fatally hit a pedestrian with an SUV last week. He has fled the country.

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ — A Plainfield man has been identified as the driver who fatally hit a pedestrian in North Plainfield last week and has reportedly fled the country, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson announced.

Mario Infante, 36, of New Street, Plainfield is wanted in connection with the death of Jose Humberto Burgos, 57, of Plainfield. (See Related: Pedestrian ID'd In Fatal Hit And Run In N. Plainfield)

Burgos was crossing Watchung Avenue in North Plainfield with another person at 1 a.m. on Tuesday when he was hit by a dark-colored SUV, police report.

Find out what's happening in Watchung-Green Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Burgos was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/New Brunswick where he was pronounced dead, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

"The vehicle made no effort to slow down and never stopped after striking the pedestrian," police said.

Find out what's happening in Watchung-Green Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Infante was identified as the driver of the SUV on May 17 following an investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction (C.A.R.) Team along with members of the North Plainfield Police Department and detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit.

Investigators determined that Infante fled from the United States on May 16.

Infante was charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident. He was placed into the National Crime Information Center (N.C.I.C.) database as being a wanted person in Somerset County.

(Image via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office: Mario Infante, 36, of New Street, Plainfield)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.