Man arrested after cars smashed into Newark laundromat, killing woman

NEWARK (WABC) -- Police have arrested a man in the hit-and-run crash that killed an 81-year-old woman in Newark.

45-year-old Aides Benites Rivera was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

On Monday afternoon, police said Rivera was driving a pickup truck and hit another car, sending both vehicles into a laundromat.

81-year-old Ruth Benjamin was seated at a table near the front of the laundromat when she was struck and killed, police said.

A man who says he is friends with the driver of the pickup truck says they had been drinking in the parking lot before the suspect got into the truck and took off.

A witness said the truck had been speeding.

"It wasn't just the guy was drunk. He was speeding. I was a couple rows back and I was sitting in my car and I see this truck come flying out of nowhere," the witness said.

Several residents said police need to crack down on groups that they say constantly hang out in the parking lot, drinking.

"Yeah, every day. Even in the wintertime, they're out here drinking. They sit over there and drink," another shopper said.

The victim's son spoke to Eyewitness News about his mother's death and said she was the backbone of the family.

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.