Motorized bicycle operator charged months after fatal Kearny crash
Kearny, NJ — A motorized bicycle operator has been charged in connection with a crash that left a 72-year-old woman dead, more than two months after the collision on a busy Kearny roadway.
Authorities announced Thursday that 44-year-old Miguel Aguilar of Harrison was arrested and charged with causing death while driving with a suspended license, a third-degree offense under New Jersey law. He was taken into custody at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and later released pending a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday, May 12.
The charge stems from a crash that occurred around 8:15 a.m. on February 11 along Kearny Avenue between Bergen Avenue and Afton Street. Responding officers found a woman, later identified as Sheila Cruz, 72, of Kearny, suffering from injuries after being struck by a motorized bicycle.
Cruz was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where she died days later on February 15.
Investigators determined during the course of the case that Aguilar did not have a valid license or registration to operate the motorized bicycle at the time of the incident.
The case was handled by the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit. The charge is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- Man charged in connection with fatal Kearny crash involving motorized bicycle
- 72-year-old victim died days after being struck on Kearny Avenue
- Defendant accused of operating vehicle without valid license or registration