2 teens charged in crash that killed man on Route 9 in New Jersey

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Friday, November 11, 2022

2 teens charged in crash that killed man on Route 9 in NJ

Two teens were charged in connection with a crash that killed a man on Route 9 in New Jersey early Wednesday. Toni Yates has the story.

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (WABC) -- Two teens were charged in connection with a crash that killed a man on Route 9 in New Jersey early Wednesday.

Samuel Villar, 19, is facing aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, eluding, employing a juvenile, and theft charges, while a 17-year-old male is charged with an act of juvenile delinquency.

Authorities say witnesses saw the teenagers attempting to burglarize vehicles in Marlboro and called the police.

When officers arrived a pursuit ensued and the teens ultimately crashed into another car just before 2:15 a.m. at the intersection of Route 9 South and Spring Valley Road in Old Bridge.

Arturo Tlapa Luna, 33, was killed in the crash. Other members of his family who were in the vehicle were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Video from Newscopter 7 showed that both cars went off the road and one of them had caught fire.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said an investigation revealed that the car the teens were driving had been stolen from New Brunswick back on October 23.

Go Fund Me pages have been set up to alleviate the cost of the family's medical expenses and pay for a funeral for Luna.

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