NJ man, 94, arrested in hit-and-run that killed beloved first grade teacher

NEW YORK — A 94-year-old man has been arrested and charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a first-grade dual language teacher in Englewood, New Jersey, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday night.

Police say Ernest F. Hofmann, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck that hit 54-year-old Elizabeth Feliciano-Rosa Thursday evening.

Feliciano-Rosa, a longtime teacher at Grieco Elementary School in Englewood, was struck while crossing the street at the intersection of Washington and Madison avenues just after 5:15 p.m., according to Musella.

The victim was transported to Hackensack University Hospital but later died from her injuries.

Hofmann, a carpenter, “fled the area” before the arrival of police but was later arrested following an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Dumont Police Department, prosecutors said Friday.

He was charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, and fourth-degree obstructing the administration of law, as well as multiple motor vehicle summonses.

Known affectionately by her students as “Mrs. Rosa,” the victim was described by the Englewood Public School District as a “beloved educator” who dedicated “nearly two decades of her life to nurturing young minds.”

A mother, wife and grandmother, Mrs. Rosa was “known for her infectious smile, boundless energy, and unwavering dedication, she touched the lives of countless students, colleagues, and families,” the district said in a statement.

Hofmann was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.