An elderly Guttenberg woman is in critical condition after being struck and pinned under a Toyota pickup truck last night, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Victor Mella, 71, of Guttenberg, has been charged with causing an injury while driving without a license, as well as a motor vehicle summons for being an unlicensed driver as the investigation continues, Schillari said in a statement.
Yesterday at approximately 5:30 p.m., the Guttenberg Police Department and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer Crash Investigation Unit, responded to the intersection of 68th Street and Broadway on the report of a pedestrian struck, officials said.
Guttenberg police found a 68-year old female Guttenberg resident pinned under a Toyota pickup truck, sustaining severe head injuries, authorities said.
North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue also responded to the scene and used airbags to lift the pickup truck and rescue the victim. She was then transported to the Jersey City Medical Center – Barnabas Health in critical condition, police said.
Additionally, Mella, the driver, was transported to Palisades Medical Center for observation, officials said.
Sheriff’s Crash Unit investigators are trying to determine if the woman was in the crosswalk when she was struck by reviewing video and speaking to witnesses, authorities said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office, in a joint effort with Guttenberg police, Schillari stated.
