Old Bridge Teen, 18, Sentenced As Adult For Fatal Hit And Run At Wawa

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — An Old Bridge teenager was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the fatal hit and run that killed an employee of the Old Bridge Wawa on December 4, 2023.

At 7:41 a.m. on that day, police were called to the Rt. 34 Wawa, where they found the gas station attendant, Andrew Padulano, 60, on the ground. He had been struck by a Ford F-150 and sustained serious injuries.

Padulano was hospitalized and remained in critical condition for over 50 days until he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and died.

The investigation was led by Old Bridge Police Officer Henry Penley and Sergeant Jonathan Berman of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

They determined the Ford F-150 was operated by Bryce Lomas, 18, of the Parlin section of Old Bridge. Police say he struck and ran over Padulano who was in front of the truck after the two men got into a dispute.

Lomas then fled the scene and in the process of fleeing nearly struck another vehicle before turning out of the Wawa parking lot onto Dock Road. Lomas was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

The charges were upgraded after Padulano passed away.

On April 22, Lomas agreed to voluntarily transfer his case from Family Court to the Criminal Division of the Superior Court, so he would be prosecuted as an adult. On that same date, he pled guilty to two charges: second-degree Vehicular Homicide and second-degree Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Resulting in Death.

He was sentenced Oct. 17: As to the Vehicular Homicide charge, he was sentenced to five years incarceration and he must serve 85% of that sentence before being eligible for parole. Upon completing the first sentence, a judge sentenced Lomas to a consecutive five-term for the Leaving the Scene charge. Those sentences must run consecutive to one another by operation of law. Upon release from incarceration, Lomas will be on parole supervision for three years.