By: Richard L. Smith
A Kearny man has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a pedestrian in Lyndhurst, according to a statement from Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.
The incident occurred on Thursday, October 10, at approximately 9:49 p.m., when the Lyndhurst Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle.
The victim, identified as 57-year-old Mr. George Arnold, a local restaurant cook from Lyndhurst, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and Lyndhurst police launched a joint investigation.
Police determined that Arnold was crossing Ridge Road near the intersection of Milton Avenue when he was struck by a 2020 Honda Civic.
After hitting the pedestrian, the driver of the Honda fled the scene.
Through their investigation, detectives identified 29-year-old Steveen G. Novillo-Cabrera of Kearny as the driver of the Honda Civic.
Authorities also discovered that Novillo-Cabrera attempted to repair his vehicle in an effort to conceal his involvement in the accident.
Bergen County officials said in a statement that on Friday, October 11, Novillo-Cabrera was arrested in Lyndhurst and charged with several offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, hindering apprehension, endangering an injured victim, and tampering with evidence.
He was transported to the Bergen County Jail and is awaiting a court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and authorities continue to work closely with local law enforcement.