A North Bergen man faces an upgraded charge following a tragic hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a 77-year-old woman in Bergen County, authorities announced. Osmary Jimenez-Luna, 34, was initially charged after a pedestrian was found unconscious around 4:35 a.m. on July 10, 2025, along Grand Avenue near Ames Avenue in Leonia.
Leonia Police responded to the scene and determined that the woman had sustained injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle. She was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center in critical condition. The victim, identified as Chong Soon Sim of Leonia, was crossing Grand Avenue when she was hit by a red 2012 Toyota Sienna that fled the scene.
Following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Leonia Police Department, detectives identified Jimenez-Luna as the driver. He was arrested on July 14, 2025, and initially charged with third-degree knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, fourth-degree endangering an injured victim, and several related motor vehicle offenses.
On Friday, July 18, 2025, Chong Soon Sim succumbed to her injuries. As a result, the charge against Jimenez-Luna was upgraded to second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He was held at the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, pending a detention hearing in Hackensack.
Attorney information for Jimenez-Luna was not immediately available.