A 69-year-old Medford woman died Saturday after she was struck by a Sea Isle City Public Works truck that was cleaning up debris left by Hurricane Sandy.
Details surrounding the accident were sparse Sunday. The woman was hit shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday somewhere along the approximately 1.6-mile Promenade that extends from 57th Street to 29th Street. Neither Sea Isle City police nor the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office released an exact location of the accident.
Authorities also would not release the victim’s name, referencing a request made by the family that her identity remain private. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“This early on, we’re going to honor the family’s wishes,” Cape May County First Assistant Prosecutor Rob Johnson said, adding that he wouldn’t discuss details of the case until he was able to further review it today.
Accident victims’ names are commonly withheld in cases when family has not yet been notified of a death, but it’s unusual for a name to be withheld after family is made aware of what happened, The Press of Atlantic City archives show.
The identity of the driver of the Public Works truck also has not been released. No criminal charges have been filed, said Johnson, but the accident is under investigation by police and the Prosecutor’s Office.
Sea Isle City police spokesman William Mammele did not respond to questions posed in an email Sunday night, including where the woman was headed and whether the accident occurred in an area of the Promenade where pedestrians are currently allowed.
Following the Oct. 29 hurricane, the north end of the Promenade from 29th Street to 31st Street was closed to foot traffic. Pedestrians are allowed on the remainder of the walkway, according to the city’s website.
The site also states that all of the city’s beaches and beach-access points are closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic as Public Works crews are working on the beaches with heavy equipment.
“My thoughts and prayers are, of course, with the family,” Mayor Len Desiderio said Sunday.
The mayor would not comment further.
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