Two women were tragically killed in a hit-and-run crash in New Jersey after attending a World Cup watch party.
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A video captured the horrifying moment Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, and Maria Isabel DeLosAngeles Salgado Ayala, 61, were struck while crossing an intersection in Newark.
The pair had been walking through the intersection of Park Avenue and North 7th Street when the fatal collision occurred.
New Jersey Hit-and-Run Driver Faces Multiple Charges
Authorities have identified 26-year-old David J. Zapata-Vera as the alleged driver involved in the crash.
It is said that Zapata-Vera sped through the intersection and struck both women, causing fatal injuries.
Beltran and Ayala were rushed to University Hospital Newark, where they were later pronounced dead.
Three days after the crash, Zapata-Vera surrendered to police.
He has since been charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, and two counts of third-degree endangering an injured victim.
Zapata-Vera is being held without bond at the Essex County Jail as the criminal case moves forward.
Family Mourns Victims as Case Continues
One witness alleged that Zapata-Vera accelerated through the crosswalk as the traffic light was changing.
"I don't know if he was drunk, but anyway, he put the gas and that's what happens," Manuel Candelaria said.
Beltran's cousin, Jeffrey Chacon, said the tragedy has left the family devastated.
"You have to live with this for the rest of your life. I hope the person is found but also for that person it's something you have to live with for the rest of your life, it's on your conscience," Chacon told WABC.
"My dad is managing his emotions with trying to contact everyone in Ecuador, her sisters, her son."
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the charges remain allegations at this stage.
"All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," a statement added.
Additional details are expected to emerge as the legal proceedings against Zapata-Vera continue.
