The child struck by a vehicle that then left the scene in Union earlier this week has died of his injuries, and the case is now being investigated as a vehicular homicide, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Union Police Chief Daniel Zieser jointly announced Friday.
The victim has been identified as 12-year-old Jeremy Maraj of Union.
Union Police Department patrol units responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle just before 8 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Forest Drive and Galloping Hill Road in Union, according to the preliminary investigation.
Maraj was rushed to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead late Friday morning.
The vehicle involved in the incident has been described as a white commercial van.
This matter is now under joint investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force and Union Police Department. Anyone with information is being urged to contact Task Force Detective Sean Holcomb at 908-358-8377 or Union Police Officer Michael Salerno at 908-851-5070.
The Union County Crime Stoppers also are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org.