First grade NJ teacher killed by 94-year-old driver in hit-run, cops say

🚨 Elementary school teacher was hit crossing street

🚨 Driver of a Ford pickup didn't stop, officials said

🚨 Teacher remembered for "compassion" and "passion for education"

DUMONT — A 94-year-old North Jersey man is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash that killed a beloved elementary school teacher.

Ernest Hofmann, a Bergenfield man who was born in 1929, was charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal crash and fourth-degree obstructing, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Friday.

According to Musella, Hofmann was driving a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup through Dumont late Thursday afternoon when he hit a 54-year-old woman.

Elizabeth Feliciano-Rosa was struck in her hometown while crossing Madison Avenue at the intersection with Washington Avenue. Officials said Hofmann drove off after the fatal hit.

Police were called to the scene around 5:19 p.m. Rosa was taken to Hackensack University Hospital where she died from her injuries.

Hofmann was taken to Bergen County Jail after his arrest. He was released on Saturday, according to jail records.

Elementary school teacher and loving mother

Rosa was a first-grade dual language teacher at Grieco Elementary School in Englewood for nearly two decades. She held the role since 2005.

A letter from the district said that she had an "infectious smile, boundless energy, and unwavering dedication."

"In her classroom, Mrs. Rosa exemplified both compassion and discipline, earning the adoration of her students while instilling in them a love for learning. Her passion for education was palpable and her commitment to her craft unparalleled."

While she was known as "Mrs. Rosa" to her students, she was "NeNe" to her two grandchildren, according to a GoFundMe for her family's funeral expenses. She was also married with three daughters.

"She was a teacher and a friend, and she is already greatly missed by all," the fundraiser said. It had raised over $30,000 as of Sunday afternoon.

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