Estuardo G. Rodriguez, 31, is facing auto death charges after prosecutors say he drunkenly ran over a woman with his U-Haul-towed Acura following a minor crash in New Jersey.
The fatal confrontation unfolded around 5 p.m. Monday on Route 17 in Paramus, Bergen County, when Rodriguez and Krisiann Reyes Rivera, 31, were involved in a fender-bender, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Rivera, a Bronx resident, exited her vehicle and approached Rodriguez’s 2024 Acura, which was hauling a U-Haul trailer, and banged on one of the car’s windows, authorities said.
As Rivera walked back toward her own car, investigators said Rodriguez accelerated and struck her with his vehicle, running her over with the trailer’s rear tires. Witnesses at the scene watched the ramming unfold and immediately gave chase as Rodriguez attempted to flee, police said.
The pursuing bystanders managed to block Rodriguez’s vehicle in traffic approximately a half-mile from the crash site, then summoned local police officers who took him into custody. Rivera was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Prosecutors revealed that Rodriguez, a Tarrytown native, had been drinking while driving and was operating with a suspended license at the time of the incident. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced that Rodriguez was booked into Bergen County Jail following his arrest.
Attorney information for Rodriguez was not immediately available. He is expected to appear in Bergen County Superior Court to face the charges against him.
The case highlights the deadly escalation that can follow routine traffic disputes, with a minor collision on a busy suburban highway turning fatal within minutes. The involvement of citizen interveners who pursued and trapped Rodriguez’s vehicle proved critical in preventing his escape, authorities noted.
Rodriguez is expected to appear in Bergen County Superior Court.