Woman killed in hit-and-run crash while leaving New Year’s church gathering in New Bedford

A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in New Bedford in the early hours of New Year’s Day, according to prosecutors.

New Bedford resident Nicolassa Ventura Colaj, 33, was fatally struck by an SUV just after midnight Jan. 1 following a New Year’s Eve church gathering at 1805 Acushnet Ave., the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Colaj left the gathering with her family and was crossing the street when the vehicle hit her, causing her to be thrown a distance.

The SUV fled the scene, and New Bedford police and emergency responders arrived a short time later, the DA said. Colaj was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the DA’s office.

New Bedford police and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the crash, but no further information was released about the crash or the person who was driving the SUV.