Accident – death – Obituary News :

Salem County Man Fatally Struck by Allegedly Intoxicated Driver

A tragic incident occurred on Sunday night in Salem County, resulting in the death of a local man who was struck by an allegedly intoxicated driver. Rolgand Perez-Valazquez, a 25-year-old resident of Pennsville, was driving his car on South Virginia Avenue in Penns Grove at around 8:30 p.m. when the accident took place, as reported by the borough police.

Upon arriving at the crash scene on East Maple Avenue, Penns Grove officers discovered a car with front-end damage and a smashed windshield. Perez-Valazquez, who was identified as the driver, told the police that he believed he had hit a stick, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

However, the officers soon realized that Perez-Valazquez had actually struck a pedestrian who was still trapped beneath the car. Sadly, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Thomas later identified the deceased as Alex Medina in a Facebook post.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by a relative to assist with Medina’s funeral expenses. The page describes him as a 23-year-old who was walking home from a store, carrying laundry detergent and food for his younger brothers when the accident occurred. Medina leaves behind his parents, two sisters, and two brothers, and the pain of his loss is described as unbearable.

At the crash scene, police officers detected the smell of alcohol on Perez-Valazquez’s breath. They also observed that he was unable to stand or walk unassisted, had slurred speech, and even passed out in the rear of a patrol car, according to the affidavit.

Perez-Valazquez has since been charged with second-degree death by auto and a third-degree count of causing death while driving without a license. The second charge indicates that he was intoxicated, although the exact blood alcohol concentration is yet to be determined.

Following the incident, Perez-Valazquez was taken to a hospital where blood was drawn for evaluation. As of Tuesday morning, court records did not list an attorney for him. He is currently being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility, awaiting a detention hearing scheduled for later this week.

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If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Matt Gray at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.

Disclaimer: This article contains a stock image and is for illustrative purposes only.

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