Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 18-year-old ALEXANDER L. VARGAS of Bogota, NJ on new, upgraded charges related to a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred on January 25, 2024. The arrest and latest upgraded charges are the result of a continuing investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Teaneck Police Department under the direction of Chief Andrew McGurr.
On Thursday, January 25, 2024, at approximately 7:55 a.m., the Teaneck Police Department responded to a two-car motor vehicle accident that occurred at the intersection of Palmer Avenue and Sherman Avenue in Teaneck, NJ. Due to the severity of the accident, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit was notified and also responded. The initial investigation revealed that a 2015 Ford Explorer driven by ALEXANDER L. VARGAS, who was 17 years old at the time, struck a 2022 Nissan Rogue driven by 40-year-old Dymond T. Fryson. VARGAS fled on foot after the crash and was subsequently taken into custody by Teaneck Police Officers not far from the accident scene. The driver of the Nissan Rogue, Ms. Fryson, was later pronounced deceased on Friday, January 26, 2024, as a result of the injuries she sustained during the collision.
The inquiry into the circumstances of the collision continued, and months of additional investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and the Teaneck Police Department revealed that ALEXANDER L. VARGAS was operating his vehicle recklessly as he disregarded several Stop Signs while speeding at approximately 60 m.p.h. in a residential zone, and was under the influence of marijuana.
On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, ALEXANDER L. VARGAS was waived into adult court and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4a(1); second degree vehicular homicide, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5a; second-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5.1; and third-degree endangering an injured victim, N.J.S.A. 2C: 12-1.2(a). A first appearance was held in Bergen County Superior Court that same day, and VARGAS was ordered released on home detention.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Teaneck Police Department and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation, along with the Rutherford and Palisades Park Police Departments, which both participate in the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit Task Force.