Old Bridge man sentenced to 10 years in prison for running over, killing Wawa employee

NEW BRUNSWICK – An 18-year-old Old Bridge man has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison for a hit-and-run crash last year that led to the death of a 60-year-old Wawa employee .

Bryce Lomas, of the Parlin section, was sentenced Oct. 17 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Thomas Abode to five years in state prison on a vehicular homicide charge, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Old Bridge Police Chief Thomas J. Montagna announced.

Under the No Early Release Act, Lomas must service 85 percent of that sentenced before becoming eligible for parole. Lomas also was sentenced to a consecutive five-year prison term for knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death.

The two sentences must run consecutive to each other. After being released, Lomas will be on parole supervision for three years.

Lomas was initially charged as a juvenile. On April 22, 2024, Lomas agreed to voluntarily transfer his case from Family Court to the Criminal Division of the Superior Court for prosecution as an adult. On that same date, Lomas pled guilty before Abode to vehicular homicide and knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle crash, both second-degree crimes.

Around 7:41 a.m. Dec. 4, 2023, Old Bridge police responded to the Wawa on Route 34 on reports of a struck pedestrian, where officers found 60-year-old township resident Andrew Padulano with serious injuries.

An investigation revealed that Padulano, a Wawa employee, was struck by a Ford F-150 driven by Lomas after an altercation between the two, and Lomas fled the scene.

Padulano was rushed to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition for more than 50 days before he died.

An investigation determined the pickup truck driven by Lomas struck and ran over Padulano who was in front of his vehicle following a dispute between the two. As Lomas began to flee from the scene, he nearly struck another vehicle before driving out of the Wawa parking lot onto Dock Road.

Lomas was arrested and charged with multiple offenses including knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury. The charges were upgraded after Padulano died.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Old Bridge man sentenced to 10 years in prison for running over, killing Wawa employee