Former Nun, 96, Hit And Killed In NJ Crosswalk: Police

NEWTON, NJ — A 96-year-old pedestrian died last week after being hit by a car in Newton when she was trying to cross the street, police said.

According to an online obituary, Aurora Marcos Travis was a former nun with the Franciscan Order and had lived in Newton for the past 40 years. She was an active member of Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

Officials said that around 11 a.m. on June 27, Travis was in a marked crosswalk going across Madison Street, when a southbound driver ran into her.

First responders transported her to Newton Medical Center for her injuries, and she was later pronounced dead.

"Aurora and her beautiful spirit will truly be missed by everyone who knew and loved her," the obituary states.

Authorities said the driver, a 25-year-old Newton resident, was issued a motor vehicle summons for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He had turned left onto Madison Street from Elm Street, according to an initial police report.

Travis was born in Honduras and served as an English teacher at a boy's orphanage there for many years, according to the obituary with Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home. Before moving to Newton, she had lived in California.

After 25 years, she left the Franciscan Order and eventually married John I. Travis, the obituary states; he died in 1990.

Travis is survived by her brother Albert Villalobos, dear friend Michelle M. Gallagher, and her church family. A funeral Mass was scheduled for Monday morning.