Hit-run Driver Still On the Run After Fatal Christmas Eve Crash in Jackson

A 83-year-old man who lost his wife in a Christmas Eve hit-and-run crash in Jackson has now lost his dog as the family continues to seek justice.

Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez, 27, of Jackson, remains a fugitive.

The suspect was driving a Chevrolet Silverado that struck Norman Shtab and his wife, Phyllis, about 6 p.m. as the Howell couple was heading to dinner, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. Shtab had turned left from the Route 195 off-ramp at Exit 21.

Alcazar-Sanchez walked away from the crash and has been charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license while being involved in a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.

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Phyllis Shtab died the day after Christmas at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

A spokesman for Billhimer said Alcazar-Sanchez has not been apprehended and the investigation in the case is ongoing.

Christmas Eve crash survivor also loses dog

It's been a tough few months for Norman Shtab since the crash.

The couple's dog, a black lab mix named Sammi who briefly went missing from a family member's home while he was still hospitalized, died on Saturday.

"Sammi died suddenly and with no explanation overnight on Saturday. He found Sammi deceased on the floor next to his bed," his daughter-in-law Michelle Platzer told the Townsquare News Network.

Platzer said her father-in-law broke eight ribs and continues to have vision problems from a head injury in the crash. While undergoing a body scan, doctors confirmed he had a tumor in his bladder.

"About a year ago he was told they saw a lesion and he was supposed to follow through with his urologist but because of the pandemic his appointments kept getting canceled. Now he has blood in the urine. He also has calcified arteries in his legs, which have been causing pain for several years," Platzer said. "He is still hoping to go back to work at Home Depot in Brick. He’s never retired."

Billhimer asked anyone with information about the crash to call the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027 or Jackson police at 732-928-1111.