Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 67-year-old MARITZA SALAZAR-PEREZ of Fair Lawn, NJ, on charges stemming from a 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 Fair Lawn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Dawicki.

On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at approximately 6:34 a.m., the Fair Lawn Police Department responded to the intersection of Broadway and Fair Lawn Parkway at 32nd Street where two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers determined that a 47-year-old woman and her 5-year-old son had been struck by a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrians ultimately left the scene of the crash without notifying police of her involvement in the collision. The pedestrians were transported to an area hospital in stable condition, where it was determined that the woman sustained minor injuries while the child sustained serious injuries.

The Fair Lawn Police Department subsequently notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, at which time detectives and accident investigators from the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force responded to the scene and initiated a joint investigation into the circumstances of the collision. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene and assisted. During the investigation, detectives quickly determined that a 2011 Honda Pilot, operated by MARITZA SALAZAR-PEREZ, was making a left turn from 32nd Street onto Broadway when it struck the pedestrians as they were attempting to cross Broadway within a marked crosswalk. Following the collision, SALAZAR-PEREZ left the scene without notifying police of her involvement in the crash. Within hours of the crash, the 2011 Honda was located, and MARITZA SALAZAR-PEREZ was arrested by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and detectives from the Fair Lawn Police Department.

As a result of the investigation, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, MARITZA SALAZAR-PEREZ was charged with third-degree knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1; third-degree endangering an injured victim, N.J.S.A 2C:12-1.2a; as well as related motor vehicle offenses. SALAZAR-PEREZ was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark 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 Fair Lawn Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation. Moreover, Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Hackensack Police Department and the Ridgefield Police Department, which both participate in the Bergen County Fatal Accident Task Force.