Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 38-year-old TERRENCE J. HEDDEN of Bergenfield, NJ on charges stemming from a fatal hit-and-run motor vehicle crash. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Hackensack Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Antista.

On Friday, May 8, 2026, at approximately 12:49 a.m., the Hackensack Police Department responded to reports of a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Essex Street and Summit Avenue. Upon arrival, responding officers determined that the pedestrian had serious injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle, and that the vehicle in question fled the scene of the crash. The victim, a 74-year-old man, was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center and was pronounced deceased a short time later. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending additional notifications to next of kin.

The Hackensack Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, at which time detectives and accident investigators from the Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force responded to the scene to initiate a joint investigation into the circumstances of the collision. The investigation revealed that a 2021 Honda Pilot operated by TERRENCE J. HEDDEN was traveling west on Essex Street when it struck the pedestrian as he was attempting to cross Summit Avenue. Following the collision, HEDDEN did not stop his vehicle, and he left the scene of the collision without rendering assistance to the victim. On the same day as the collision, the vehicle in question was located and TERRENCE J. HEDDEN was arrested by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Hackensack Police Department.

As a result of the investigation, TERRENCE J. HEDDEN was charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, N.J.S.A 2C:11-5.1; third-degree endangering an injured victim, N.J.S.A 2C:12-1.2; and related motor vehicle offenses. HEDDEN was transported to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Hackensack Police Department for its assistance in this investigation. Moreover, he thanks the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance. Finally, Prosecutor Musella recognizes the Ridgefield Police Department and the Tenafly Police Department, which both participate in the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force