Driver Accused of Hiding Car After Fatal Hit-and-Run on Cyclist's Ride Home

A driver accused of striking a 71-year-old cyclist on his ride home from work covered his car and replaced its windshield after the fatal collision, New Jersey authorities said. Investigators have arrested one driver but are still searching for another vehicle that also struck the man.

Aaron K. Tart Jr., 24, of Atco, was taken into custody on October 30 in connection with the death of Maksudur Rahman of Berlin Township. He was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, endangering an injured victim and tampering with evidence.

Rahman was riding along North Route 73 in West Berlin shortly after 1 a.m. on October 24 when he was hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Voorhees Police Chief April Herrington.

Authorities said two vehicles struck him and left: a gray Ford Fusion that prosecutors allege Tart was driving, followed by a dark-colored midsize SUV. The Courier-Post reported that investigators identified the Ford as the first vehicle to hit Rahman.

A Route He Had Taken for Years

Rahman’s son, Mahmudur Rahman, told CBS Philadelphia that his father worked as a dishwasher at Harmony Diner in Voorhees and regularly traveled to and from the restaurant by bicycle. The Route 73 journey had been part of his working life for years, his son told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Originally from Bangladesh, Rahman immigrated to the United States more than a decade ago. His son said he spent time in New York before settling with his wife in Berlin in 2014.

He is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter and six grandchildren, according to the family’s account in the Inquirer. His son described him as a man who did not cause trouble for others.

“He was a very good man, my father,” Mahmudur Rahman told CBS Philadelphia. “He had never had a problem with anybody.”

Vehicle Recovered After Arrest

Detectives determined that Tart covered the Ford after the crash and had its windshield replaced, according to the prosecutor’s account. The Courier-Post reported that he was charged October 29, arrested the following day in Deptford and that investigators recovered the car.

The U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force took Tart into custody in Deptford, according to NJ1015’s account of the prosecutor’s announcement. Investigators seized the Ford Fusion after locating it with him.

Tart was taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing, the Inquirer reported. The charges include second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident, third-degree endangering an injured victim and fourth-degree evidence tampering. They remain allegations, not findings of guilt.

The search for the second driver continued after Tart’s arrest. Authorities described the other vehicle as a dark-colored midsize SUV, possibly a Honda Pilot. Investigators had not publicly identified its driver in the October 30 accounts.

Rahman’s family joined authorities in asking witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information can contact Detective Samuel Funches III of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Crash Response Investigation Team or Voorhees police Officer Joe Kavano at 856-882-1146.

References: Arrest Made in Fatal Cyclist Crash in West Berlin, New Jersey | An Atco man has been arrested for fatal Voorhees hit-and-run | Aaron Tart Charged in Voorhees Hit-and-Run Death of Maksudur Rahman | NJ1015

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