Man Charged In Crash That Killed 12-Year-Old Girl, Dog In Mercer: PD

WEST WINDSOR, NJ — A 65-year-old West Windsor man was charged in connection with the fatal pedestrian crash that killed a 12-year-old girl and her dog, West Windsor police said.

Iftekhar Hossain was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalk, careless driving and other offenses.

On Nov. 27, authorities responded to the intersection of Rabbit Hill Road and Abbington Lane to reports of a pedestrian who had been stuck.

On arrival, they found Ananta Ahuja, 12, and her dog lying on the road in the middle of the intersection.

First aid was immediately rendered to Ahuja and she was taken to Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries, police said. Her dog died at the scene.

According to a preliminary investigation, a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Hossain struck Ahuja and her dog while they were crossing the road.

A comprehensive investigation found that both Ahuja and her dog were in the crosswalk, and had already made it past one side of the road when they were struck by the gray Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Hossain.

Hossain, knowingly left the scene of the collision and failed to report it, police said. He did, however, return to the scene approximately 10 minutes later.

Investigation also found that Hossain was driving without due caution and circumspection and that he failed to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

Neither speeding nor cell phone use contributed to the collision, police said.

A criminal charge was prepared for Hossain for leaving the scene of the accident which resulted in Ahuja’s death, police said.

Officers from the West Windsor Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office arrested Hossain late on Friday. After processing, he was transported to the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing.

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