Route 1 & 9 in Elizabeth was the scene of a deadly accident on Sunday night. Police say that a car struck and killed a man crossing the highway on his bicycle near North Avenue.

Shonta Smith witnessed the crash and also knew the victim. She says the victim, who officials have yet to identify, was a 35-year-old man who was often riding his bike around the neighborhood.

At 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Smith was walking toward the intersection when she saw a black car speed by before she heard the crash. Smith says the driver was trying to beat the red light.

“It sounded worse than a car crash…The light was yellow, by the time he got past the line it was red,” Smith says. “I knew it was [the victim] automatically because I just felt it.”

Smith says she was friendly with the victim. She says he was homeless and she often offered him meals. But he never shared his name.

“He was actually a sweetheart, even though he was homeless he would give to anybody who needed it,” Smith says. "He was smart he was funny. He was just the type that would give."

The vehicle hit the man so hard that the bicycle was split in two and the victim was decapitated.

Intersections with Route 1 & 9 in Elizabeth are known to be dangerous for pedestrians. Fatalities have been recorded nearby at East Jersey Street and East Grand Street.

Brett Graves, of Elizabeth, says that he crosses Route 1 & 9 every day to get to work. He says you get a full minute to cross the intersection before the light turns.

Others like Rony Concepcion say the truck and car drivers are reckless.

“You’ve got to time it right, if let's say you got a yellow light, you’re screwed because these guys are impatient. They start beeping at you,” Concepcion says.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the death.

News 12 is waiting to find out the victim’s name and whether or not the driver will face criminal charges.