A disturbing video has emerged showing a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The footage captures two women—58-year-old Marianela Elizabeth Valverde Beltrán and 61-year-old María Isabel De Los Ángeles Salgado Ayala—crossing a street at a pedestrian crossing when they were struck by a speeding red car. The impact sent both women flying into the air.
The victims were returning home after attending a World Cup match with friends to support Ecuador’s national team, according to U.S. media reports. They were walking near a busy intersection in Newark when the vehicle, driven by 26-year-old David J. Zapata-Vera of Newark, ran the crosswalk at high speed just as the traffic light was turning red.
An eyewitness told investigators that Zapata-Vera accelerated through the intersection, saying, “I don’t know if he was drunk—but either way, he floored it.” Traffic cameras helped identify the driver, who surrendered to police on Tuesday—three days after the crash—and is now being held without bail.
He faces multiple charges, including second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and third-degree endangering the welfare of an injured victim.