Mother Of NJ Teen Killed In Crash Files Wrongful Death Suit

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — The mother of a 14-year-old Passaic County bicyclist who was killed in a crash earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

On March 10, around 4 p.m., Nicola Domenico Colangelo collided with a Mercedes-Benz SUV at the intersection of Rose Place and McBride Avenue in Woodland Park.

The 14-year-old bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. No charges were filed against the driver.

See Related: Community Mourns Teen Cyclist Killed In Passaic County Crash

Now seven months later, Nicola’s mother, Lauren J. Colangelo, is suing the driver of the Mercedes, its owner, and county and borough officials.

The suit cites a crash report written by Woodland Park police, which says that the Mercedes was not impounded after the crash, but driven away from the scene by “unknown individuals.”

The report also mentions that no drug or alcohol test was administered to the Mercedes driver.

According to the suit, only after the incident did workers from Woodland Park “and/or” Passaic County repair an unspecified road “defect” on McBride Avenue that played a role in the crash.

The suit alleges wrongful death against all defendants and negligence against the Mercedes driver and owner. Colangelo also claims that the borough’s and county’s failure to maintain the intersection’s roads “proximately caused the death of Nicola.”