Teenager from Dartmouth Arrested in Connection to Fatal New Year's Hit-and-Run
A 16-year-old from Dartmouth has been charged with negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene resulting in death, following a devastating hit-and-run incident on New Year’s Eve. The suspect was identified by prosecutors as the driver of an SUV that struck and killed Nicolasa Ventura Colaj, 33, who was crossing the street after attending a church gathering.
According to authorities, Colaj was "thrown a distance" by the impact, and the SUV fled the scene. Despite efforts by emergency responders, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday in New Bedford juvenile court, where they will face serious charges related to the fatal crash.
Colaj, who was a Guatemalan immigrant and worked at a local fish house, leaves behind three children. Her husband, Antonio Colaj, 38, gathered with community members to honor her memory outside their church, Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a fundraiser has been launched to cover Colaj's funeral expenses, while another effort is underway to raise funds for a memorial and burial in Guatemala. As of Sunday morning, the memorial fund had received over 100 donations, raising nearly $9,000.
Law enforcement officials, including New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody, are continuing to investigate the crash. "This was a thorough and relentless investigation carried out under extremely difficult circumstances," he said. "While nothing can undo this tragic loss, we are committed to seeing this investigation through and ensuring Nicolasa's family sees accountability and justice."
The investigation is ongoing, with prosecutors working to build a case against the suspect.
A 16-year-old from Dartmouth has been charged with negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene resulting in death, following a devastating hit-and-run incident on New Year’s Eve. The suspect was identified by prosecutors as the driver of an SUV that struck and killed Nicolasa Ventura Colaj, 33, who was crossing the street after attending a church gathering.
According to authorities, Colaj was "thrown a distance" by the impact, and the SUV fled the scene. Despite efforts by emergency responders, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday in New Bedford juvenile court, where they will face serious charges related to the fatal crash.
Colaj, who was a Guatemalan immigrant and worked at a local fish house, leaves behind three children. Her husband, Antonio Colaj, 38, gathered with community members to honor her memory outside their church, Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a fundraiser has been launched to cover Colaj's funeral expenses, while another effort is underway to raise funds for a memorial and burial in Guatemala. As of Sunday morning, the memorial fund had received over 100 donations, raising nearly $9,000.
Law enforcement officials, including New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody, are continuing to investigate the crash. "This was a thorough and relentless investigation carried out under extremely difficult circumstances," he said. "While nothing can undo this tragic loss, we are committed to seeing this investigation through and ensuring Nicolasa's family sees accountability and justice."
The investigation is ongoing, with prosecutors working to build a case against the suspect.
. hit-and-run incident is just not okay, you know? it's like, someone's life was literally taken away in an instant 
. the fact that she was crossing the street after church gathering makes it even more heartbreaking... poor guy who lost his wife & kids, he must be going through hell right now 
.
. and thanks to all those donating to Nicolasa's memorial fund 
, that means a lot to her family 
. we should also hope law enforcement can get to the bottom of this & make sure no one else has to go through what her family did 
.
negligent homicide charges r super serious 
anyways 
thinkin bout the victim Nicolasa Ventura Colaj RIP 
was a good person n loved her life w her kids & hubby 
hope justice is served ASAP 
that's just devastating... a young life lost on new year's eve... 
it's supposed to be a time for celebration but instead this kid had to face that kinda trauma & now his community is gonna be feeling this pain for a loooong time 
and yeah, the police chief is saying all the right things, accountability & justice... we gotta see this through for Nicolasa's family 
. And what really gets me is that a fundraiser has been set up to cover the funeral expenses for Nicolasa's kids, but there's no word on when justice will be served 
. The community should have some closure by now 
.
. I mean, what was that SUV doing on the road at midnight? Was it even registered or insured? And what's with all these donations pouring in for the memorial fund and funeral expenses? Sounds like a setup to me, you know? 
They're probably using it as a distraction while they "investigate" the crash... meanwhile, I'm sure there are some shady details being swept under the rug 
. We need to dig deeper into this story, folks! 
Can't believe some 16-yr-old thinks they're invincible behind the wheel 
Newsflash: you're not as cool as you think you are 
. Leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run is just basic human decency, and now that kid's gonna be facing some serious charges 
.
16 yrs old kid do that? poor family too she got three kids and husband what about them? need more help not just financial but also psychological trauma 
.
. And I love how they're also trying to raise funds for a memorial in Guatemala - it's amazing how we can come together like that.
. Can't wait to see how the arraignment goes on Monday 