Manuel Perez Obituary, Death – Authorities have identified the tow truck driver killed in a tragic incident on Sunday morning on Route 19 in Paterson, specifically near the Valley Road exit. The victim, 64-year-old Manuel Perez, a resident of Paterson, had pulled over on the southbound side of Route 19 to load a disabled vehicle onto his tow truck just before 11 a.m.
According to Rob Rowan from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, who is acting as a spokesperson for the Paterson Police Department, Perez was in the process of assisting the stranded vehicle when another driver struck him. The impact was severe enough that the other vehicle flipped over. The driver of that vehicle was subsequently taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center with various injuries sustained during the collision.
Unfortunately, despite the emergency response efforts, Perez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The situation has prompted the Paterson Police Department’s Traffic Unit to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, aiming to gather more information and determine the cause of the incident.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are likely to focus on various factors, including the actions of both drivers, road conditions at the time, and any potential traffic violations that may have contributed to the fatal collision. The community is left mourning the loss of Perez, who was engaged in his work when the accident occurred.