By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – Police are continuing their investigation of an incident in which a pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle.
At 6:12 a.m. Nov. 9, officers responded to Route 79 in the area of Ridge Road in the Wickatunk section of Marlboro, according to a press release.
The officers determined that a pedestrian, Zhen-Chun Qi, 58, of Marlboro, had been struck by a 2005 Ford F150 pickup truck. Police identified the driver of the vehicle as Patrick Warnock, 59, of Freehold Borough.
Qi was transported to Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel, by the Marlboro First Aid Squad. She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, police said.
Route 79 in the vicinity of Ridge Road was closed to traffic for three hours while the incident was being investigated. Police believe Qi was walking along Route 79, but are unsure if she was trying to cross the state highway.
“We believe she was struck in the lane of travel, but we are not sure how close to the shoulder she was,” Marlboro Police Capt. Fred Reck said on Nov. 11. “We are just not sure if she was trying to cross the road or if she lost her bearings as to how far into the road she really was.”
Reck said no charges had been filed against Warnock as of Nov. 11 and he added that “the investigation is still ongoing, but at this time I have been informed that it does not look like charges will be filed.”
An investigation is being conducted by Cpl. Richard Borowsky of the Traffic and Safety Bureau. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Borowsky at 732-536-0100. ext. 1545, or at RBorowsky@marlboropd.org
