36°
******
A Lodi driver trying to beat a light struck and killed a 28-year-old Teaneck man with his car as he crossed Route 46 near the Teterboro Walmart last month, then was picked up by his twin brother, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Successful detective work -- coordinating the cellphone calls between them -- helped crack the case, those with knowledge of it said.
Brandon Bialek, 32, remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail, charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death and hindering his apprehension by suppressing evidence.
He has a detention hearing scheduled this Friday.
His brother, Brian Bialek -- a New Jersey transit maintenance worker who lives in Hasbrouck Heights -- was charged with hindering his brother's apprehension, authorities told Daily Voice on Wednesday. He was released on a summons pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on March 4, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said.
Brandon Bialek -- whose Facebook profile describes him as a lab aide at the Bergen County Utilities Authority -- was headed to work and trying to beat a light when his 2013 Ford Focus struck and killed Brian Rossi at 5:50 a.m. Jan. 5 near Industrial Avenue, authorities said.
His brother showed up in another vehicle and both cars drove off together, they said.
Rossi, 28 (photo above), was "a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend who was taken away from us all too soon," his sister, Sharyn Rossi Agnew, wrote on a GoFundMe page that she established as a reward to help find whoever was responsible. "The culprit(s) left the scene and left Brian to die on the side of the road, alone."
Authorities also released a surveillance photo of the Focus and a Mitsubishi Lancer (above photo, right) that they said showed up later.
The Focus "will have significant front end damage, including a broken passenger side headlight, and a broken passenger side-view mirror," Calo said at the time.
"The driver fled the scene traveling eastbound on Route 46 before parking in the rear of a business," Calo said.
The Lancer "arrived shortly thereafter and both vehicles left together," he said. "They traveled east on Route 46, then north on Liberty Street towards Hackensack.
"Both vehicles were also seen traveling southbound on Terrace Avenue in the area of Route 17, headed towards Hasbrouck Heights."
CLICK HERE for Brian Rossi's obituary.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bergenfield and receive free news updates.
