Local Korean Business Owner Killed Crossing the Street in Dumont

Tragedy struck a local Korean-American family on Wednesday when a mother, wife, and Bergen County business owner were struck and killed by an SUV. Eun Ok Jo was a 63 year old woman originally from South Korea. She settled with her husband Kyung Ne Jo and their three children in New Milford, NJ about 30 years ago.

Eun Ok Jo built up a series of business ventures from nothing. She arrived in the US with only a few thousand dollars and managed to operate a successful dry cleaning business. Jo was walking near her business, My Town Cleaners, located on Grant Avenue, when the accident happened.

On Wednesday, September 25th, Jo was crossing the intersection of Madison Avenue and Howard Street in Dumont when she was struck by a Toyota SUV at about 9:30 in the morning. The car that hit her was owned by the US State Department and had diplomatic license plates. The driver of the SUV, Lucy Camargo-Cortes of River Edge, is cooperating with the Bergen County and New Milford police in the investigation, which is still underway. The Bergen County Fatal Accident unit also conducts an investigation whenever a death is caused by a car accident in Bergen County.

First responders arrived at the scene and performed CPR on Jo in an attempt to keep her alive. Unfortunately, their attempts were unsuccessful. She was brought to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Her family says she was only a few years away from retirement.

“The investigation should focus on distracted driving and speeding because pedestrians lawfully crossing a roadway have the right of way” says New Jersey car accident lawyer Samuel L. Davis “especially since the accident occurred during broad daylight.”

Because Jo was struck by a United States State Department government-owned vehicle, her family may run into some complex legal issues in an attempt to get justice. “Claims against government entities or diplomats do not work in the same way as regular lawsuits,” explains Sam Davis, who has been recognized by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. Davis continues, “The time limit to make a claim against the federal government is very short. Notice must be given quickly, so it is important for families like hers to hire an experienced trial attorney right away.”

Samuel L. Davis is a partner at the firm of Davis, Saperstein, & Salomon, P.C., in Teaneck, NJ and represents both injured pedestrians and people bringing government liability claims. Sam Davis can be reached for interviews about intersection crossing accidents or to discuss any New Jersey or New York vehicle accident at 1-(800) LAW-2000.

The author Garry R. Salomon is the author of the book entitled “The Consumer’s Guide to New Jersey Personal Injury Claims” ©2011 that has been translated into Korean and Polish. He is also a partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon P.C., and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney and can be reached by email at garry.salomon@dsslaw.com.