Driver Fatally Strikes 92-Year-Old Woman Outside Maplewood Rehab Facility

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A driver fatally struck a 92-year-old woman while they were trying to park at a rehab facility in Maplewood last week, authorities say.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the car-pedestrian strike took place when a driver attempted to park their 2011 Toyota Corolla in the lot at the Winchester Gardens Rehabilitation Facility on Elmwood Avenue around 5 p.m. on Friday.

The motorist drove their vehicle through the bushes and grass and mulch area dividing the parking lot from the roadway – striking a pedestrian as they re-entered the roadway. The vehicle then came to a stop and ended partially mounted on the opposite area of the entrance to the parking lot, prosecutors said.

The woman – later identified as Juli Towell of Maplewood – was using a walker as a mobility aid at the time, authorities said.

Emergency responders transported Towell to Newark Beth Israel Hospital. She was pronounced dead at 5:43 p.m.

The driver remained at the scene and was not injured, prosecutors said.

A police investigation continues, authorities said Wednesday.

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