A 21-year-old Old Bridge man has been sentenced to five years in prison for a July 2023 drunken crash that killed a Sayreville woman.
James Cannici was sentenced June 14 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Craig Corson to five years under the No Early Release Act, which means he must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. said Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
Cannici was also sentenced to three years of probation upon his release from prison and his driving privileges in New Jersey will be suspended for five years.
On February 2, 2024, Cannici pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony, assault by auto, a third-degree felony, assault by auto, a fourth-degree felony, and driving under the influence.
On July 16, 2023 at approximately 11:17 p.m., police were notified of a crash in the area of ​​Route 18 and Ferris Road in Old Bridge, where arriving officers found a three-vehicle crash.
Florence Akoma, 45, of Sayreville, a passenger in a Honda Accord involved in the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of that Honda Accord suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, while the driver of another vehicle suffered minor injuries, according to the prosecutor’s office.
An initial investigation by Old Bridge Detective Dan Haviland and Detective James Alleva of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office indicated a Nissan Rogue, driven by Cannici, apparently turned left from Ferris Road onto the wrong side of Route 18 and the Honda Accord and hit another vehicle.
Cannici was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence and later also charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault and assault by motor vehicle.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Old Bridge NJ man convicted in fatal DWI crash on Route 18
