Traffic & Transit
Bloomfield Woman Struck, Killed Newark Man With Bus: Prosecutors
The victim was dragged by a NJ Transit bus on New Year's Eve and died from his injuries, Essex County prosecutors said.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police have arrested a Bloomfield woman accused of killing a Newark man while behind the wheel of a NJ Transit bus last New Year’s Eve, authorities announced Tuesday.
Fayola Howard, 34, of Bloomfield has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, according to a joint statement from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newark Department of Public Safety.
According to prosecutors, a NJ Transit bus driven by Howard struck Kevin Thomas, 55, of Newark on Dec. 31, 2019. The bus was travelling southbound on Sanford Avenue, approaching Mt. Vernon Place in Newark.
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“The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was dragged by the bus,” prosecutors said.
Thomas died from his injuries on Jan. 6, prosecutors said.
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Howard has been charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of the accident involving an injured person. At the time of her arrest on Tuesday, she was attempting to board a plane at Newark Liberty International Airport, prosecutors said.
A police investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-847-7432.
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