NJ woman admits leaving scene of hit-and-run that killed Aberdeen pedestrian

A 65-year-old Matawan woman has admitted to leaving the scene of a hit and run last year that killed a pedestrian.

On Friday, Sonia Gomez pleaded guilty in Superior Court to second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal crash, in connection with the death of 58-year-old Judith Fox-Hernandez.

Aberdeen hit-and-run happened in September

On Sept. 4, just before 7:30 p.m., Aberdeen police were called to a pedestrian struck at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 2nd Street.

The intersection, in a residential neighborhood alongside Lake Matawan, is a short walk from Matawan Regional High School.

Fox-Hernandez, of Aberdeen, was found lying in the road and was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment.

She had been out jogging when she was hit, according to a GoFundMe campaign for her family.

Over three weeks later, she died of the injuries suffered in the crash.

NJ woman mourned by large family as music and animal lover

Fox-Hernandez has been mourned as a loving spouse, mother and youngest sibling of nine.

She was also an avid music fan and animal lover.

“With an electric personality, she lit up every room she entered. Judith was the life of the party, bringing joy and excitement to every moment for her loved ones,” Fox-Hernandez's online obituary said.

It also noted that she was an avid animal lover and activist, and a devoted music fan.

Investigators from the county and municipal level found that Fox-Hernandez was struck by a 2015 Honda Pilot, driven by Gomez.

Gomez did not stop at the time of the crash, nor did she report it to law enforcement.
She was arrested in mid-October.

Read More: NJ mom killed in hit and run — driver gets short prison term 

Short prison terms for hit-and-run deaths source of anguish in NJ

Fox-Hernandez is survived by a large family who has been actively seeking “Justice for Judi” with a Facebook group since her death.

The group collected impact statements for weeks, ahead of the hearing at which the driver pleaded guilty.

When sentenced in August, Gomez faces up to three years in state prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.

Seemingly short penalties for such hit-and-run fatalities have been a source of frustration for families around the state.

Read More: Driver, 21, admits Brick hit-and-run that killed NJ mom of four 

Last month, a young driver was sentenced to six years in prison, after admitting to a hit-and-run that killed a mother of four in Ocean County.

Last summer, a Middlesex County hit-and-run driver was sentenced to five years in state prison for a hit-and-run that killed a woman who was riding a bicycle in Woodbridge.

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