OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — A 47-year-old man has been charged with multiple criminal offenses after authorities say he was driving the wrong way at speeds exceeding 100 mph, causing a fatal crash on Route 70 in Lakewood Township.
Brian Baldari, of Brick Township, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and assault by auto, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The charges stem from an investigation that revealed Baldari was driving at a speed of 103 mph in the wrong direction for approximately two miles before colliding with another vehicle on March 7.
The crash, which occurred at 5:50 a.m. at the intersection of Route 70 and Airport Road, resulted in the death of 66-year-old Edwin Borja, of Manchester. Borja was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he fought for his life for 11 days before being pronounced dead.
Baldari, driving a sedan, struck an SUV head-on, sending the SUV into a chain reaction, causing it to collide with six other cars. Baldari’s sedan also caught fire, and he was trapped inside. Emergency responders extricated him from the vehicle, and he was subsequently treated for injuries at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and later at the Weill Cornell Medicine Burn Center in New York City.
A third driver was also injured and treated at Ocean University Medical Center, but they were released after receiving care.
Baldari turned himself into authorities on Wednesday and is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The tragic incident has left the community in shock as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.