LOWER TOWNSHIP — A 19-year-old Erma man has been charged with vehicular homicide following a crash on Route 9 that killed a 56-year-old man and seriously injured another person, authorities announced Friday.
Edward McVey, 19, was charged Friday with second-degree vehicular homicide involving DUI, third-degree assault by auto involving DUI and fourth-degree assault by auto involving a handheld device, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Lower Township Police Chief Donald Vanaman Jr.
The charges stem from an investigation into an Oct. 1 collision on Route 9 in the Erma section of Lower Township.
Authorities said McVey's vehicle collided with another vehicle occupied by two people.
A 56-year-old man was killed in the crash, while a 36-year-old man suffered serious injuries, according to the prosecutor's office. Authorities did not identify either man in Friday's announcement.
McVey was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.
The investigation is being conducted by the Lower Township Police Department and Cape May County Prosecutor's Office.
Sutherland said a person convicted of a second-degree crime in New Jersey may face five to 10 years in state prison. The prosecutor's announcement did not specify what evidence led investigators to allege that McVey was driving under the influence or using a handheld device.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135 or submit an anonymous tip through the prosecutor's office tip website.
The charges are accusations. McVey is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
