Man fatally struck by pickup truck Wednesday morning while walking on sidewalk near Route 46
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, (January 29, 2025) - A 64-year-old man tragically lost his lie Wednesday morning in a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in Hackettstown.
Roynaldo Tabeta was fatally injured Wednesday morning when a pickup truck struck him as he was walking along a sidewalk in Hackettstown.
According to the Hackettstown Police Department, Independence resident Roynaldo Tabeta was walking along a sidewalk near the CVS on Main Street at approximately 10:52 a.m. At the same time, a 2018 GMC Canyon pickup truck heading westbound along Route 46 left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck Tabeta.
Tabeta was rushed to Hackettstown Medical Center, where he sadly passed away.
The driver was hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
An investigation is underway.
FATAL PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
Despite being protected by various laws, pedestrians continue to be the most vulnerable users of streets and roads in our country. Every day, pedestrians are seriously injured or killed by motorists who ignore warning signs, are distracted or impaired.
According to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association, the number of pedestrian fatalities in the United States has grown substantially faster than all other traffic deaths. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that 67,336 pedestrian accidents occurred in 2022, resulting in 7,522 fatalities.
“Generally, driver’s negligence is to blame for most pedestrian accidents. Whether it’s being distracted by something such as their cell phone, being in a rush, or simply not paying the proper attention, these accidents result in catastrophic injuries, said Andrew G. Finkelstein, an experienced pedestrian accident attorney.
Finkelstein, the Managing Partner at Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices, stressed that it is important that a competent attorney handles investigations into cases such as this to protect the rights of the victim’s family.
“It is essential to reconstruct the accident to identify all the vehicles involved and determine the circumstances that led to the accident or the driver at fault,” he added.
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
Pending the investigation, the family of Roynaldo Tabeta may be entitled to a wrongful death claim. Family members of wrongful death victims may seek damages for loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and emotional distress following a catastrophic accident such as this tragic incident.
“People who get into accidents such as this suffer unimaginable consequences in the form of mental and physical pain, and, in cases of fatalities, the victim’s family and loved ones are left devastated,” added Finkelstein, who is also a national legal analyst for Newsline.
“As a pedestrian accident victim, you will most likely face an insurance company expert who will attempt to place partial or full blame on you. The situation becomes even more tragic when the pedestrian is killed and it’s the loved ones that are told that person was at fault. The insurance companies are doing this to reduce payouts and increase their profits, and they are very good at what they do.
“You should never give a statement directly to the insurance company. The best course of action is to hire an experienced pedestrian accident attorney large enough to take on the insurance company and speak up for you as a victim or for your loved one who cannot,” Finkelstein noted.
Newsline's national legal analyst Andrew G. Finkelstein is experienced in fatal pedestrian accidents, and if you or a family member need help he's available for a free consultation to guide you
(Andrew G. Finkelstein, our national legal analyst, is a Managing Partner at Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices. Newsline can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices to help you, please call 855-976-8163 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).