Couple hit crossing rainy street Saturday night
Police were back Tuesday at the South Main Street scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident that took the life of a woman pedestrian minutes before 8 p.m. Saturday, March 29.
Police said they responded to a call on South Main north of the Kennedy Boulevard jug handle. They said they found two pedestrians had been struck by a 2013 VW Jetta driven by Harpreet Locham, 18, of Manville, who was driving north.
Marisela Atenco-Balbuena, 23, and Jose E. Gonzalez, 27, of Somerville had parked their vehicle at the Sparkle Self-Serve Car Wash on the southbound side of the street and were crossing in the rain to a private party in the American Legion hall on the northbound side.
Ms. Atenco-Balbuena was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital with a severe head trauma, and she was later pronounced dead. Mr. Gonzalez was taken to Somerset Medical Center with a leg injury. Mr. Locham was uninjured.
The crash is under investigation by the Manville Police and the the Somerset County’s Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team. Anyone with information can contact Detective William Sampson at 908-725-1900, extension 617, or the Somerset County TIPS hotline at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).

