Crime & Safety

Thee Dead in I-95 Crash in Lawrence; Driver Charged with Death by Auto

The 19-year-old driver is under guard on $1 million bail in Capital Health where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Two women and one man have now died as a result of an overnight crash, say New Jersey State Police.
 
The driver, Luis Delcid-Cardona, 19, of Hamilton, has been charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident, as well as driving while intoxicated.

Police say he lost control of the 2001 Volkswagen GTS on I-95 southbound (toward Pennsylvania—at the transition from I-295 northbound) shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday.

The vehicle went over a curb that divides the on-ramp lanes from Rt.1, then struck the rear of a tractor-trailer that had pulled onto the shoulder of the ramp.

The two rear seat passengers, Samantha Belliveau, 18, of Hamilton and Nicole Rodrigues, 20, of Yardville were both ejected from the car and died at the scene. The front seat passenger, Jonathan Rivas, 19, of Princeton, succumbed to serious head injuries earlier today at Capital Health Regional Hospital, police said. 

Delcid-Cardona was also injured, but fled the scene following the crash, and was located and arrested a short time later at a home in Lawrence, police said.

Currently, Delcid-Cardona has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of assault by auto, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while intoxicated. Additional charges are possible, police said. He remains under guard on $1 million bail in Capital Health where police say he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. 

Troopers from Hamilton Station and Troop C detectives are working with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office on the investigation. The State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and Crime Scene Investigations Unit assisted with the investigation. 


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