Nicolasa Ventura Colaj Killed in New Bedford, Massachusetts on January 1, 2026 – Hit-and-Run on Acushnet Avenue After Church Service

On January 1, 2026, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Nicolasa Ventura Colaj, 33, was fatally struck in a hit-and-run incident while crossing Acushnet Avenue in the city’s North End. The collision occurred shortly after 1 a.m., moments after she left a New Year’s church service at Iglesia Pentecostal Latinoamericana Unida with her husband and three children. Emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities later arrested a 16-year-old Dartmouth resident in connection with the crash. The individual faces charges of negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death and was released on bail pending further court proceedings. In the days following her death, approximately 50 people gathered outside the church for a vigil. Community members described Colaj as hardworking and devoted to her family, while city officials announced increased traffic enforcement efforts in response to two pedestrian fatalities that occurred in the opening days of the year.