Driver in Hit-and-Run Accident Appeared Drunk, Had Child in Car, Witnesses Claim

Update: The driver disputes the witness accounts of what happened. Read her side of the story here.

Witnesses say a Mahwah woman was chugging vodka in a Ridgewood gas station parking lot with a child in the car, and when good Samaritans tried to prevent her from fleeing, one man was run over.

Stefanie Pennachio, 41, of Mahwah, was charged with leaving the scene, failure to report an accident, and reckless driving for her alleged role in the Monday afternoon incident.

According to the police report, a witness said Pennachio pulled into the Exxon on the Run service station at about 5:30 p.m. drinking from a small glass bottle. Upon exiting the vehicle, her car door struck another vehicle.

The owner of the struck vehicle reported that the woman "appeared to try and apologize but seemed unable to get the words out. He observed the woman stumble over to the garbage can and toss in a small glass bottle."

The bottle retrieved was vodka, prompting the man to try and prevent the woman from getting in her car. Among his reasons? A boy described as being roughly ten years of age was inside the 2009 Audi A4.

By this time, according to the police report, another concerned citizen stepped in and was struck as she floored it in reverse in an attempt to flee. That man, a 53-year-old from Upper Saddle River, sustained hip injury but refused medical attention. Police say Pennachio fled onto Route 17.

Police say witnesses were able to match the vehicle's plate number to driving records, leading to the issuance of summonses.