The driver of a vehicle that hit a Trenton man on Route 129 in the city Sunday evening has a driver’s license from South Carolina that is currently suspended, authorities said Thursday.
Andrew Miller, 54, of Columbia, South Carolina, struck Shawn Kemp, 41, shortly before 8 p.m., authorities said.
Kemp was walking in the highway’s southbound lanes approaching the Cass Street intersection, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Trenton police said Monday that Kemp was known to ask drivers stopped at the intersection for money or handouts.
Miller is not charged with Kemp’s death, but in investigating the crash, police found his license is suspended and they charged him with operating a vehicle with a suspended license in a crash in which a person died, the prosecutor’s office said.
The investigation is an ongoing matter, the office said.
Route 129 has been the scene of many crashes and fatalities since it opened in 1994, and has often been named one of the most dangerous roads in New Jersey - especially for pedestrians at the short highway’s three crossings: Lalor Street, Cass Street and Hamilton Avenue.
In late August, state Department of Transportation (DOT) authorities announced a significant project to improve safety at the intersections, including a system called Red Clearance Extension, which can detect the speed of an approaching vehicle and adjusts the lights accordingly.
The state says it uses smart and predictive technology and is a “first in the nation” system.
Last week, on Tuesday Sept. 27, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora and several local and state politicians stood at the Hamilton Avenue intersection to publicly announce the DOT project.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.
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