Belleville Man Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run on McCarter Highway in Newark, Prosecutor Says
Mickael Esteban Barrionuevo Medina, 28, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death after James Edward Kolla, 62, was struck in a marked crosswalk on Oct. 11, officials said.
A Belleville man has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian on McCarter Highway (Route 21) in Newark on Sunday, Oct. 11, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda announced in an official release read by this desk.
Mickael Esteban Barrionuevo Medina, 28, of Belleville, is charged with second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and third-degree endangering an injured victim, according to the prosecutor's office.
According to preliminary findings released by officials, at approximately 7:44 p.m. on Oct. 11, James Edward Kolla, 62, of Newark, was crossing a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Edison Place and McCarter Highway as the traffic light was turning green when a black pickup truck struck him, knocking him onto the roadway, and then fled onto Market Street. Kolla was transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m. Medina later surrendered to Newark Police, officials said.
The prosecutor's office stated that these allegations are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The public is encouraged to report information to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432, and officials said all calls will remain confidential.
