Driver who smashed stolen SUV into deaf man caught, cops say

JERSEY CITY — The driver who police say crashed a stolen SUV through a bus shelter, killing a man at the stop, was arrested on Thursday.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the driver of the Oriental J. Hamlet, 19, of Jersey City, was arrested on Thursday night and charged with aggravated manslaughter, death by auto, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while unlicensed and causing death, eluding, receiving stolen property, assault by auto and resisting arrest.

Hamlet's arrest was first announced Thursday night via a message on her office's Twitter account on Thursday night.

The arrest comes after Umar King, 33, was struck early Tuesday by an SUV, a 2005 Toyota 4-Runner,  whose driver refused to stop for a Hudson County Sheriff's Department officer on Kennedy Boulevard, according to Suarez. The SUV struck a Lincoln MKZ crossing at Communipaw Avenue and spun out of control, hitting the shelter and several parked vehicles.

King was declared dead at the scene.

One of three people inside the SUV, a 16-year-old male, was detained, while the other two individuals fled, according to Suarez.

Suarez released surveillance video of the pair running away from the crash scene.

Suarez credited the newly formed Hudson County Regional Fatal Collision Unit with the investigation and the arrest.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.