Owner of Hit and Run Vehicle in Contact with State Police

The owner of the vehicle that allegedly struck a pedestrian in Lacey Township at 5:25 p.m. Feb. 16 has contacted the state police through a lawyer, Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Jones said.

Jones could not say if the owner was the driver of the hit and run vehicle at the time of the accident. Formal charges have yet to be pressed, Jones said.

The victim of the hit and run was Joseph Rizzo, 22, of Bayville. Rizzo was left in critical condition after he was struck at the Forked River Service Area on the Garden State Parkway northbound. The driver fled south on the Parkway, officials said.

Following the accident, Rizzo was flown to the Jersey Shore Regional Trauma Center for serious injuries, including a severe head injury, officials said.

As of Feb. 17 Rizzo was upgraded to fair condition and has since been discharged, said Robert Cavanaugh, public relations manager of the Jersey Shore Regional Trauma Center said.

State Police identified the vehicle that hit Rizzo as a brown Jeep Liberty. The police are offering few details after the recovery of the vehicle.

The SUV was recovered on Feb. 18. At that point the driver had not been found.

Jones said there were witnesses but could not provide information regarding how many or the how the accident actually played out.

According to the traffic advisory website, 511nj.org, as of 6:14 p.m. there was a three-mile delay heading north to Exit 69 on the Garden State Parkway due to the accident. All lanes were closed between 5:44 p.m. and 6:14 p.m., 511nj.org reported.