A New York man accused of driving drunk allegedly struck and killed a woman in New Jersey after she slapped his vehicle during a minor collision, prosecutors said.
Estuardo G. Rodriguez, 31, and Krisiann Reyes Rivera, 31, were involved in a minor crash on Route 17 in Paramus at about 5 p.m. Monday, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
After the collision, Rivera got out of her car and approached Rodriguez’s 2024 Acura, which was towing a U-Haul trailer. Authorities said she struck one of the vehicle’s windows before returning to her car.
As Rivera walked back, investigators said Rodriguez accelerated. Police allege that his vehicle struck Rivera and that the trailer’s rear tires ran over her.
Witnesses who saw the crash pursue Rodriguez as he allegedly attempted to flee, police said.
The witnesses eventually blocked his vehicle in traffic about a half-mile from the crash site and alerted local officers, who took Rodriguez into custody.
Rivera, who lived in the Bronx, was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she later died, authorities said.
Investigators determined that Rodriguez had been drinking while driving and was operating the vehicle with a suspended license, prosecutors said.
He was charged in connection with the death by auto, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, and lodged in the Bergen County Jail.
An attorney for Rodriguez was not immediately identified. He is expected to appear in Bergen County Superior Court.
