Police: Driver Leaves Roadway, Fatally Strikes Man In Hamilton Township
HAMILTON Twp., NJ (CBS) – Authorities say a 53-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a driver who left the roadway in Mercer County, New Jersey.
Police say around 7:54 p.m. on September 27, 40-year-old Jeffrey Sgro from Lambertville was driving westbound on the 100 block of Edinburg Road when his SUV left the roadway and fatally struck 53-year-old Daniel Quinlan.
Quinlan's family tells Eyewitness News he had walked outside to take out the trash.
"I'm still in shock, ten seconds either way he would have been okay. The driver went airborne over the hedges and Daniel didn't even see it coming," says his sister Jennifer Stagg.
Authorities say after striking Quinlan, Sgro crashed into the house where Quinlan lived with his elderly parents who were inside of the home, but were not hurt. "Danny was an amazing, kind, loving, caring, sweet man," describes Stagg, "he lived with them and was their caretaker, he helped them out. My parents are elderly, almost 90, so he was a gift"
While Sgro was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital for minor injuries, Quinlan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neighbor Michael Nowicki says nobody thought Daniel was involved in the crash initially, it wasn't until they saw his car was parked at the house they began searching and discovered he was in the crash debris.
"The township and the police department they just hung up tarps. Didn't say anything to the family at the start. Immediately when they hung up the tarps and said 'we have to extend the crime scene'– automatically knew what happened," says Nowicki.
Nowicki says Sgro told him that he blacked out just prior to the crash.
Police are investigating what caused the driver to lose control.
Sgro has not been charged in the accident.
