Berlin man charged in Gloucester Township hit-and-run after cop spots damaged van
GLOUCESTER TWP. – A Berlin man is accused of fleeing the scene of an accident that killed a pedestrian here Monday night.
Orlando A. Venters Jr., 42, allegedly struck Elaine J. Hubler as she tried to cross the 800 block of Black Horse Pike shortly before 10:30 p.m., according to Gloucester Township police.
An intensive investigation led to an arrest in the case within 48 hours, Police Chief David Harkins noted Thursday.
“We all were determined to bring closure to the family of Ms. Hubler, and we have done that,” said Harkins.
He thanked the public for providing tips and praised police officers for their determination in pursuing the case.
Hubler, 58, was left lying on the pike, between Almonesson Road and Route 42, by a northbound driver who fled without rendering aid or calling 9-1-1, a police account noted.
The Hilltop woman, a resident of the 200 block of Maple Avenue, was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
An obituary said Hubler grew up in Pennsauken, where she was a 1982 graduate of Pennsauken High School.
Responding officers initially had no description of the suspect vehicle, but investigators reviewed surveillance video from businesses along the pike and received tips from the community.
Investigators then distributed a bulletin with photos of a suspect vehicle to area police departments.
A Berlin Borough officer provided “timely, critical information regarding a possible suspect vehicle that proved invaluable,” according to a police account.
A court record notes Venters was stopped by police in another town later on the night of the accident, when he was taken into custody for another offense.
The record, which offers probable cause for Venters' arrest, offers no additional details about the traffic stop.
It says Venters was located by investigators on Tuesday "and he provided a statement to police."
Police on Tuesday also recovered a suspect vehicle, a 2016 Dodge Caravan with front-end damage, in the area of Tansboro Road in Berlin.
The vehicle was processed for additional evidence, and Venters, a resident of the first block of Tansboro Road, was taken into custody.
He is being held in Camden County Jail on charges of knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal crash and causing death while driving with a suspended license.
The charges against Venters are only allegations. He has not been convicted in the case.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Gloucester Township hit-and-run suspect arrested in 48 hours
