BUENA, N.J. — The Buena community and surrounding areas are mourning the heartbreaking loss of Deserie Cincotti, a 48-year-old woman whose life was tragically cut short in a pedestrian accident on the evening of Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
According to the Township of Hamilton Police Department, the fatal incident occurred along Route 322 near Custard Castle in Hamilton Township, a stretch of road long regarded as hazardous for pedestrians. At approximately 7:38 p.m., officers were dispatched to reports of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian.
Preliminary findings indicate that a 2021 Hyundai Tucson, driven by Debbie Rice, 56, of Pittsgrove, was traveling westbound in the right-hand lane when it struck Deserie, who was attempting to cross the roadway. Despite the immediate arrival of first responders, Deserie Cincotti was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver remained on-site and was uninjured.
The area was closed for several hours as investigators from the Township of Hamilton Police Department, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Crash Investigations Unit, and other agencies worked to reconstruct the tragic sequence of events. The Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad and Mays Landing Fire Department provided assistance at the scene.
To those who knew her, Deserie was a beacon of kindness, compassion, and generosity — a woman who touched lives with her warmth and unshakable spirit. Friends and family describe her as someone who always went out of her way to help others, whose laughter and energy could brighten even the darkest day.
Her passing has left an immeasurable void in the hearts of her loved ones and within the Buena community, which has expressed an outpouring of sympathy and remembrance. “We will remember Deserie not just for how she left us,” one friend shared, “but for how she lived — with love, resilience, and grace.”
In the days to come, friends and community members are planning a candlelight vigil to honor her memory and to raise awareness about the urgent need for safer pedestrian pathways along Route 322.
Deserie’s life was a testament to love and compassion — and though her journey ended far too soon, her memory will forever live on in the hearts of those she touched.
🕯️ In Loving Memory of Deserie Cincotti — Forever Missed, Never Forgotten.