NJ young man charged in Newark hit-and-run that killed 17-year-old girl
⚠️ A Bloomfield man faces three criminal counts in the death of a 17-year-old Newark pedestrian.
➡️ Police say surveillance video shows the driver speeding before striking the teen and fleeing.
🔴 The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and state authorities are conducting separate investigations.
NEWARK — An Essex County driver has been criminally charged after a hit-and-run that killed a 17-year-old pedestrian who was beloved by her school community.
Erik Montesinos, of Bloomfield, was charged with second-degree counts of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death as well as third-degree endangering an injured victim, in the death of Zakiyah Dansby, Newark police said.
Police say driver was speeding before deadly hit-and-run
Video surveillance shows Montesinos was speeding in a gray sedan on Aug. 9 just before 9 p.m., when he struck the Newark teen, near the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Mount Prospect Avenue.
Montesinos, who turns 26 at the end of the month, fled the scene.
State authorities on Saturday confirmed that the incident was under routine review, as an unmarked Newark police vehicle had just started to follow the speeding sedan at the time of the deadly strike.
A Newark police officer driving the unmarked black Ford Explorer had made a U-turn to follow Montesinos, and shortly thereafter, the sedan hit the victim.
The officer pulled over and called the incident into Newark Police, and tried to help the teen, who died shortly after.
Later that night, Montesinos contacted Newark Police and confessed to the crash, before turning himself in at the Second Precinct.
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KIPP Newark remembers a student who brought 'energy and joy'
The victim’s school community shared a moving tribute to Instagram.
“Our KIPP Newark community is heartbroken by the passing of Za’Kiyah Dansby, a member of Newark Collegiate Academy’s Class of 2028 and a beloved member of our Life, SPARK, BOLD, and Collegiate communities,” a post said on Instagram.
“Za’Kiyah brought energy and joy wherever she went. She had a smile that could light up a room and a laugh that drew people in. She loved talking about her family, cared deeply about doing well in school, and was always willing to help others,” according to KIPP Newark Collegiate, a four-year charter high school.
“Those who knew Za’Kiyah knew how fiercely she loved the people in her life. She was a loyal friend and a protector. She was someone who stood up for the people she cared about and built meaningful relationships wherever she went,” the Instagram post continued.
“Za’Kiyah grew up within our KIPP Newark community, and her loss is being felt across generations of classmates, educators, and teammates who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her.”
On Saturday, the state Attorney General’s Office publicly shared some details about its review, including the name of the officer in the unmarked SUV, Newark Police Sgt. Xavier Pimentel.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the driver of the sedan that struck the civilian, while the state was investigating circumstances of the police encounter.
Both investigations are ongoing.
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Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
