Woman Killed, Man Seriously Hurt Crossing Street In Linden

LINDEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - A woman was killed and a man suffered serious injuries when the couple was struck by a car in Linden early Friday morning.

They were walking together in the crosswalk and were halfway across the four-lane St. Georges Avenue near DeWitt Street around 6:30 a.m. when they were hit by a dark sedan.

The 44-year-old New York City woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 54-year-old companion was rushed to University Hospital in Newark with serious injuries.

The couple moved to Linden from Long Island City, Queens a few weeks ago, CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported.

The driver remained on the scene and is cooperating with police. No charges have been filed.

The investigation closed the main thoroughfare all morning.

"A lot of police at either end of the avenue. Traffic was backed up a lot, as you can imagine," witness Prashant Patel said.

Witnesses at a nearby gas station said they thought the car involved was speeding, 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.

The speed limit is 35 miles per hour, but police are not confirming that speed was a factor in the deadly crash.

"It's terrible, a very terrible thing," one man told Rozner.

The crash occurred just two blocks from where a Colonia, New Jersey man was struck and killed early Thanksgiving morning. In that incident, the driver was intoxicated, according to police.

Local business owners told Rozner that a woman was killed on the same road over the summer.

"I've seen two ladies got dragged over here two years ago," Sheila Jenkins told Rozner. "That put a lot of fear in me."

People who live in the area say the road, also known as Route 27, is notorious for speeding cars.

"There's too much traffic here in the morning, especially in the business hours," Ricky Goel said.

"It's an everyday thing. People just don't, it's sad," said one woman.

"These cars, they ride like they're on a highway and they speed over here all the time," Jenkins added.