COURT HOUSE – Hugo Maucher, a 51-year-old Marmora resident, was sentenced to seven years in New Jersey state prison with no parole disqualifier. Maucher was sentenced for a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of an 80-year-old pedestrian.
Maucher hit Dennis Township resident Marjorie Straubmuller with his SUV at the intersection of Stagecoach Road and Brewhause Lane on the evening of Dec. 29, 2022. He fled the scene before police arrived.
Straubmuller was flown by helicopter to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Atlantic City Campus, where she was pronounced dead soon after arrival.
Maucher is a married but separated individual with one daughter. He earned an associate degree from Johnson & Wales University and was employed as a chef at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Cape May.
A grand jury indicted Maucher March 28 on two second-degree counts for leaving the scene of an accident involving death and violating a public health and safety law. Maucher pleaded guilty to leaving the scene May 17 after prosecutors agreed to drop the charge for violation of the health and safety law.
Prosecutors said Maucher was headed home from his job in Cape May when he hit Straubmuller. Witnesses provided information on the driver and the vehicle involved in the crash. After police circulated a composite drawing and identified the make and model of the SUV, Maucher turned himself in.
While legal proceedings moved forward, Maucher has been at the Cape May County Correctional Facility since Jan. 3. He is now awaiting transfer to a longer-term facility.
In the Judgement of Conviction issued by the court, Judge J. Christopher Gibson took note of the fact that Maucher has no history of prior criminal activity and “is unlikely to commit another crime.”
Gibson said Maucher admitted “feeling his car hit something and stopped.” Maucher then said he saw the victim and panicked, leaving the scene. As Gibson summarized, Maucher did not contact the police or alert anyone to aid the victim.
The judgement record states that there was evidence before the court that Maucher had consumed alcohol prior to the event, but his flight prevented any confirmation that he was under the influence.
The court document notes that higher degree crimes necessitate a greater need for protection of the public and both specific and general deterrence. It also notes that the defendant saw “the elderly victim on the ground on the street and should have recognized her advanced age and frailty but still did not call 911.”
The court found that the aggravating factors “outweigh” the mitigating factors, including Maucher’s previous law-abiding life. The sentencing range for a second-degree crime is five to 10 years. Maucher’s seven-year sentence is slightly below the mid-point of that range.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
