A New Jersey father was tragically struck and killed while clearing snow off his car early Monday morning after an out-of-control SUV hit him and fled the scene, leaving him to die in the street. Abel Herrera, 59, was outside his family home on Alabama Avenue in Paterson around 8:30 a.m., brushing off snow from his car following a winter storm the night before. Surveillance footage from the family’s home captured an SUV skidding on the icy road before crashing into Herrera, who was standing near his vehicle.

According to police, the driver of the SUV did not stop after the collision. Herrera’s wife, who was sitting inside the car at the time, witnessed the entire incident. The couple had been preparing to leave for an early doctor’s appointment when the tragedy occurred. “She was in the car, she saw everything,” said Anabel Angon, Herrera’s daughter, who was returning home from vacation at the airport when she learned of her father’s death. “The driver should have stopped and helped him,” she added, expressing her family’s grief and frustration.

The Herrera family has long been concerned about speeding on their quiet residential street, which they say is frequently used as a shortcut to Route 80. They have previously raised the issue with city officials, citing dangerous driving behavior in the area. Herrera’s son-in-law revealed that a child was nearly hit by a speeding vehicle just weeks before the fatal incident. “It’s a quiet street, but people come and speed through here because it’s an exit to Route 80. They use it as an escape route out of the city,” said Paterson City Councilman Luis Velez, who plans to address the ongoing safety concerns during the city council’s meeting on Tuesday.

As of now, no additional details about the investigation have been released. Paterson Police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office have not responded to requests for comment. The tragic loss of Abel Herrera has left his family devastated and has reignited calls for action to address speeding and improve safety on residential streets in the community.

Share to your favorite social media page