NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — North Bergen police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck a child earlier this week.
The fifth grader found himself only two blocks away from school when an SUV, descending down the hill on his right, failed to halt and collided with his side. The impact sent his phone soaring out of his grasp, but he mustered the strength to rise to his feet.
Expressing her gratitude, Belen Bencosme, the mother, exclaimed, “Thank goodness! I’m so grateful because he just called me and said, ‘Mom, I got hit,’ and it completely caught me off guard.”
“We’re just concerned and really disgusted by the fact that the driver at not any point did he ever stop,” dad Keven Bencosme said.
The worried parents say their son was taken to the hospital Tuesday with a minor eye injury. Police are looking for the driver of that grey 2020 to 2024 Ford Explorer, who ran the stop sign and kept going.
According to North Bergen Police Capt. David Dowd, the vehicle possesses tinted windows and a partially tinted windshield. Additionally, it is equipped with New Jersey license plates, which are concealed by a dark plastic cover.
Police are working with state police and say they are close to finding an ID. They believe it was a male driver who’s local to the neighborhood.
Dowd expressed confidence in our ability to soon identify the license plate and emphasized the need for assistance from the public. He urged everyone to act responsibly and be cautious, particularly when in close proximity to schools.
Speaking in Spanish to CBS New York, the 11-year-old boy who was victimized expressed his confusion about the driver’s failure to assist him despite believing they would stop at the stop sign. Although he still experiences some discomfort, attending a school field trip on Thursday helped improve his well-being. His parents supported his decision to return to school.
“We were talking. We decide, like, no, you have to go. There’s no other option,'” Belen Bencosme said.
The surveillance footage depicts a woman pushing a stroller, walking alongside the victim following the accident. Authorities have successfully identified her and will conduct an interview to gather her witness testimony. Expressing his gratitude, the young boy appreciates her assistance and affectionately declares his love for her.
According to neighbors, a crossing guard has been assigned to the intersection. However, the boy has opted to change his school route and now walks on a street with a higher number of pedestrians.
- In:
- North Bergen
