MAYS LANDING – Two New Jersey men were sentenced yesterday to 6 years in prison for racing on the highway in Egg Harbor City in 2011, and causing a crash that killed a 19-year-old woman, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.
On October 23, 2011, at approximately 1:30 a.m., authorities from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Egg Harbor City Police Department and the Galloway Township Police Department responded to the scene of a one-car motor vehicle accident on Clarks Landing Road, in Egg Harbor City.
A Jeep Cherokee, driven by Kevin Dilks, 22, of Chatsworth, NJ, had been traveling south on Clarks Landing Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, which overturned and left the highway, coming to rest against several trees. The female passenger, Ashley Adams, 19, of Southampton, NJ, had been ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. She was flown to Atlanticare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City. Adams was pronounced dead at the hospital, the cause of death: multiple blunt force traumas.
Dilks suffered minor injury, and was transported by ambulance to the Atlanticare Regional Medical Center.
The subsequent investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Egg Harbor City Police Department led to Kevin Dilks’ arrest three days later for charges of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, reckless driving, and underage drinking, and the issuance of another warrant upon indictment for Alec Kavanagh, 22, of Browns Mills, NJ, on January 30, 2013.
On January 30, 2013, Kevin Dilks and Alec Kavanagh were both indicted for vehicular homicide and conspiracy. The State alleged that Dilks and Kavanagh were racing on the highway when Dilks lost control of his vehicle and crashed.
Dilks and Kavanagh each pled guilty to vehicular homicide before Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury on April 8, 2014.
Yesterday, both men remain sentenced by Judge DeLury to 6 years incarceration in New Jersey State prison. Pursuant to the No Early Release Act (NERA), each must serve 85% of the prison sentence—or 5 years, 1 month, and 6 days—before becoming eligible for parole.
During sentencing, Judge DeLury spoke to the extreme recklessness of the act, and the importance for general deterrence of public understanding of the seriousness of the offense and its consequences.
Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy represented the State in the matter.
Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652- 1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.
1 comments:
What an absolute shame. Everyone loses.
Anonymous001
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