Home   >   News   >   911   >   Verona Business Owner Killed In Hit And Run

Verona Business Owner Killed In Hit And Run

By on June 25, 2016
Matthew Beneduce McGrath carved the sign for the Verona High School Hall of Fame and many other prominent signs in Verona and across Essex County.

Matthew BeneduceMcGrath, the owner of Benegrathic Sign Design, carved the sign for the Verona High School Hall of Fame and many other prominent signs in Verona and across Essex County.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Verona Police Chief Mitchell Stern have announced that authorities are investigating an incident in which a Verona resident was fatally injured by a hit and run vehicle Friday night, June 24.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., Verona police officers responded to the area of Bloomfield Ave and Hillcrest Terrace on reports of pedestrian struck. Arriving officers located the victim and he was rushed to University Hospital in Newark. The victim, who has been identified as Matthew BeneduceMcGrath, age 59, was pronounced dead at 9:58 p.m., according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly, of the Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit.

This matter is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Task Force and the Verona Police Department. The investigation is active and ongoing at this time, according to Fennelly. Anyone with information is asked to call the Essex County Prosecutor’s Tips Line at (877) 847-7432 or the Verona Police Department at (973) 239-5000.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Before you comment, read our Comments Policy

6 Comments

  1. Hailey Cowan

    June 25, 2016 at 2:08 pm

    My friends stopped at the scene last night to try and help, i had taken a different route on our way to a park. When i got to the park about 30 minutes after my friends pulled up and one got out of the car crying to me hugged and and told me what had happened. Im so sorry. I will pray for your family. Rest in peace Matthew.

  2. Barbara Jacobus Gulick

    June 25, 2016 at 11:59 pm

    My grandfather, George Jacobus, who resided at 28 Hillcrest Terrace, was killed in a hit and run incident on Bloomfield Ave. near Malvern Place in the 1930s. I still have the notes written by the neighborhood kids about him. His case was never solved. My sympathy for Matthew McGrath’s family.

  3. Robert sposato

    June 26, 2016 at 12:45 am

    Is there any evidence or witnesses that can trace that car down. This is horrible. That should never happen in Verona

  4. Virginia Citrano

    June 26, 2016 at 7:55 am

    The Verona Police Department is not discussing what they know at this point. But remember that late last year, the VPD asked all business owners with security cameras to voluntarily register them. The VPD can’t monitor private cameras remotely, but when a crime does occur, they know what cameras are in the area and can very quickly contact business owners to view what might have been recorded.

  5. Robert Gordon

    July 8, 2016 at 9:55 am

    I had the pleasure of meeting Matthew in 2011 when I photographed him for a story in New Jersey Monthly Magazine. He was a pleasure to be around, kind, endearing and overall a great person. It’s tragic what happened, my thoughts are with his friends and family.

  6. Virginia Citrano

    July 8, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    Thank you Robert for the beautiful photos you took that day and for sharing your impression of Matt.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get News Updates By Email

Video

Facebook