Shakim D. Adams
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Patrick Murray announce that based upon an investigation by the Passaic County
Prosecutor’s Office and the Paterson Police Department, Shakim D. Adams, a 21-year-old male
from Paterson, New Jersey, was charged in connection to the February 3, 2025 fatal hit and run
that occurred in the area of Alabama Avenue and Trenton Avenue in Paterson, New Jersey.
Shakim Adams was charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident, second-degree.
At approximately 8:49 a.m., the Paterson Police Department received a call regarding a person
struck by a motor vehicle in the area of Alabama Avenue and Trenton Avenue. When patrol
units arrived on scene, they found the victim, Abel Herrera, a 59-year-old male from Paterson,
with significant injuries. The victim was transported to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center
where he was subsequently pronounced deceased. The investigation revealed that a green Chevy
Trailblazer operated by Shakim Adams struck the victim and fled the area.
Shakim Adams is currently in custody awaiting his first appearance at Central Judicial
Processing. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office will file a motion for pre-trial detention
which will be heard by a Superior Court Judge at a date and time to be determined by the Court.
The crime of Leaving the Scene of an Accident has a sentencing range of 5 to 10 years
imprisonment.
Criminal complaints are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this
incident to contact us on our tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org.
