Judge Orders Driver Held In Fatal Paterson Pedestrian Crash

A judge ordered that a driver from Florida accused in a multi-vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Paterson last week remain held in the Passaic County Jail.

Alvin W. Mootoo
Photo Credit: *COURTESY: Passaic County Prosecutor's Office*

Jerry DeMarco

01/07/2019 3:30 p.m.

A Buick Encore driven Alvin W. Mootoo, 46, blew a stop sign at the corner of 18th Avenue and East 24th Street and struck a silver 2008 Accord just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

The impact sent the sedan into another Honda Accord, where 31-year-old Jorge Alberto Pena Mesa of Newark was standing, talking to the driver, Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Troy Oswald said in a joint release.

Mesa, who was struck in the chain-reaction crash, was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, they said.

Mootoo is charged with death by auto and strict liability death by auto.

The drivers of the two Accords sustained minor injuries and were treated at the hospital and released.

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