Mercer Hit-&-Run Driver Found Guilty In Death Of Scooter Rider

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – A 53-year-old Trenton hit-and-run driver was convicted for a 2019 collision that resulted in the death of 64-year-old Johnnie Stokes, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said.

On Wednesday, Luis Rodriquez was convicted on all counts of the indictment, including second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death and third-degree endangering an injured victim.

A little after 11:45 a.m. on April 29, 2019, Trenton Police responded to the area of the Roebling Market on Elmer Street.

Officers found Johnnie Stokes on the side of the road complaining of chest pain. Stokes was taken to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on May 16, 2019.

Stokes suffered multiple rib fractures and lacerations to his kidney and spleen as a result of the crash, .

According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on April 29, 2019, Stokes was riding his scooter on Elmer Street.

Rodriquez’s Ford Expedition veered into Stokes’s lane of travel and Stokes was thrown off his scooter into a parked vehicle. After the crash, Rodriquez left the scene without contacting police or medical personnel, according to trial documents.

A partial plate of Rodriquez’s Ford Expedition was obtained by an eyewitness who provided details at trial about how the crash took place, authorities said.

Detectives later obtained video surveillance in the area of the Roebling Market depicting distinguishing characteristics of Rodriquez’s Ford Expedition.

“The State thanks the jury for carefully considering the testimony of witnesses, along with their review of the video surveillance and photographic evidence in this case,” Assistant Prosecutor Scott Gershman said.

“Mr. Stokes’s family has waited almost six years to receive justice for their beloved son, brother, and father. The support, engagement, and patience of Mr. Stokes’s family throughout these years were invaluable. It is our hope that while this verdict does not bring back Mr. Stokes, it can finally provide some closure to the family.”

The investigation was led by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Serious Collision Response Team, specifically lead Detective Ryan Minnick. The defendant was represented by Michelle Adams, Esq., and Aram Karabulut, Esq.

Rodriquez had been on pre-trial release since May 2019. After the guilty verdict, he was taken into custody and will be held pending sentencing.

Rodriquez faces a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2025.

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