New Jersey police say the driver seen on jarring video striking a boy as he was crossing an intersection, with the vehicle never appearing to stop or barely even slow down, has been arrested.
In the video that some may find difficult to watch, the 11-year-old is seen crossing a street in North Bergen around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday on his way to school. As he is crossing the intersection at 76th Street and Hudson Avenue, a grey Ford Explorer blows through the stop sign and knocks him off his feet. The driver immediately takes off, without so much as checking to see if the boy was hurt.
A woman pushing a baby stroller witnessed the hit-and-run up close and helped the boy, who appeared to be in pain but managed to walk away on his own.
North Bergen police on Friday announced the arrest of 57-year-old Julio Seoane-Alamo, the driver allegedly behind the wheel of a gray Ford Explorer involved in the hit-and-run.
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The vehicle's license plate number helped investigators track down the alleged driver responsible, police said.
Seoane-Alamo faces a handful of criminal charges including auto assault. Attorney information for the North Bergen man was not immediately known.
Video of the strike was captured by a home security camera — the owner of which has his own experience recovering from a vehicle strike.
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"I was hit by a car two years ago and I spent a long time in bedrest. This is something that hits home even more so, that an adult didn’t take responsibility for something that they did," said Alex Cuervo, who said that drivers seem to think the stop sign in front of his house is a suggestion.
As NBC New York's camera was rolling, it captured a different grey SUV make a left turn without making a full stop.
Cuervo said his camera was not able to grab the driver’s license plate, but police hope someone will see the footage and help them find the hit-and-run driver.
"I hope they’re held accountable," said Cuervo.
Police also hope to talk to the woman who witnessed the hit-and-run crash and helped the boy get back on his feet.
Anyone with information is asked to contact North Bergen Police Department’s tip line.
