Officer Who Struck, Killed Pedestrian In Camden Co. Won't Be Charged

ATCO, NJ — An officer who fatally struck a pedestrian with his police vehicle last Thanksgiving in Camden County will not be charged.

A state grand jury voted Aug. 5 against charging Waterford Township Police Sgt. Richard Sbarra in the death of Christofe "Christopher" Wita. Sbarra was on-duty when he hit Wita just after 2 a.m. Nov. 23 in Atco.

Investigators found that Wita, 44, crossed the White Horse Pike in a poorly lit area and wasn't in a crosswalk, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Sbarra was driving below the speed limit when he struck Wita, the agency said Monday.

Officers at the scene rendered medical aid to Wita, the OAG said. But the Berlin resident was pronounced dead 10 minutes after the crash.

Per state law, the attorney general's office must investigate deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement or while in custody. The agency must present its findings to a grand jury, which determines whether to return an indictment.

The investigation into Wita's death included witness interviews, radio transmissions, photographs, review of video footage, police reports and autopsy results from the medical examiner, the OAG said. After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury voted "no bill," concluding that Sbarra shouldn't be criminally charged.

A few weeks ago, the OAG released Sbarra's body-camera footage from the moments after he struck Wita. The lower-middle portion of his windshield is cracked. Read more: Video From Scene Where Cop Fatally Struck Camden Co. Pedestrian Released

The 3-minute recording from Sbarra's body camera begins at 2:10 a.m. that morning — a minute after the OAG says he hit Wita. The OAG also released an 18-minute audio recording of radio communications at the scene.

Sbarra has spent 14 years in the Waterford Township Police Department, according to public data.