‘Turn yourself in:’ Police ID suspected driver in fatal hit-and run

Officials in Hudson County are asking for the public’s help after they said they know who's behind a fatal hit-and-run in North Bergen, but they haven't been able to find her just yet.

News 12 Staff

Mar 5, 2019, 4:20 PM

Updated 1,879 days ago

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‘Turn yourself in:’ Police ID suspected driver in fatal hit-and run
Officials in Hudson County are asking for the public’s help after they said they know who's behind a fatal hit-and-run in North Bergen, but they haven't been able to find her just yet.
The accident happened Presidents Day around 8:15 p.m. at 43rd Street and Tonnelle Avenue.
The victim, Darlene Westbrook, 34, was a mother of two young children.
Her partner says he cannot believe the driver never had the decency to stop, let alone never helped.
Police believe Monica Ippolito was behind the wheel of the Chrysler Voyager on the night she struck Darlene Westbrook.
Police believe she never stopped, and just kept on going.
So far, police have not been able to find Ippolito, but have issued an arrest warrant for her.
"The driver of that vehicle is Monica Ippolito,” says Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. “She's 49 years old. She's from Paterson. There's now an arrest warrant and the arrest warrant was signed yesterday."
"She's been known to frequent as far south as Perth Amboy into Passaic County, Paterson, Fairview, she's got connections all over the northern state of New Jersey and also elsewhere as well,” says Detective Joseph Pisone with the Hudson County RFCU.
"It's quite impossible for her not to know that there was some type of collision,” says Chief Robert Dowd. “At this point, we ask Ms. Ippolito if she's watching to do the right thing and turn herself in."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit at 201-915-1345.


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