PARSIPPANY — A Passaic woman was charged with careless driving and disregarding a traffic control device after police say she ran a red light and struck another vehicle head-on at the intersection of Littleton Road East and Smith Road, injuring one person.
According to Officer Richard Nicoletti of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, the crash occurred Tuesday, August 11, at 4:49 p.m. Davida Valdesalvarez, 51, of Passaic, was driving a Ford Transit Connect owned by Valley Medical Transportation LLC north on Smith Road, approaching Littleton Road East. Lauren E. Stilwell, 35, of the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany-Troy Hills, was traveling south on Smith Road in a Jeep Compass, approaching the same intersection.
Officer Nicoletti’s report states that Stilwell entered the intersection on a green traffic signal. Valdesalvarez, despite facing a red signal, proceeded through the intersection and struck Stilwell’s vehicle head-on.
A witness traveling behind Valdesalvarez’s vehicle told investigators that Valdesalvarez drove through a red signal before striking Stilwell’s vehicle.
Following the investigation, Officer Nicoletti determined that Valdesalvarez caused the crash by failing to obey the traffic signal. She was issued the following summonses:
- Careless Driving (39:4-97)
- Disregard Traffic Control Device (39:4-81)
Valdesalvarez’s vehicle was equipped with a dash camera; footage was not viewable at the time of the report. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
