Officials: 94-year-old man accused in hit-and-run crash that killed beloved teacher
The woman was identified as 54-year-old Elizabeth Rosa – a beloved teacher, wife and grandmother.
A 94-year-old man has been accused of killing a beloved teacher in a hit-and-run incident in Dumont on Thursday.
Authorities say Ernest Hoffman struck and killed 54-year-old Elizabeth Rosa – a beloved teacher, wife and grandmother. The incident happened at the intersection of Washington and Madison avenues around 5:19 p.m. Officials say Hoffman was driving a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup truck and struck Rosa as she crossed the street.
A makeshift memorial now grows at the location where Rosa was killed. Uwaldo Moreno's daughters played softball with Rosa's daughters as children. He was at the memorial, visibly grief-stricken.
"This never happened before...It's so sad I feel bad,” Moreno says.
Family and friends of Rosa gathered near the intersection where Rosa died to mourn her
People in the community say nothing like this has ever happened before but they're not surprised that something like this happened.
Taylor Rogers grew up in Dumont and she says there have been several close calls.
“People just run the red light. They don't even attempt to stop it,” Rogers says.
Englewood Public School District, where Rosa taught for nearly 20 years, posted their condolences on the district's website. The message called Rosa a cornerstone of the Englewood Public School community.
Hoffman was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death. He is being held at the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance.
