Belleville Man Was Behind Wheel In Fatal NJ Crash: Prosecutors

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A Belleville resident has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide after a recent fatal car crash in Morris County, authorities announced Monday.

Gerald Veneziano, 41, of Belleville, has been charged with one count of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide and other motor vehicle violations in connection with a crash that happened on May 31 in Roxbury.

The two-vehicle crash took place around 10:30 p.m. on Howard Boulevard, when a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado traveling northbound collided with a southbound 2019 Mazda 3, according to a statement from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Roxbury Police Department.

Police investigators determined that the Silverado was traveling about 90 miles per hour at the time of the collision, prosecutors said.

The driver of the Mazda – later identified as Jacob Davis, 19, of Flanders – was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Veneziano – the driver who was behind the wheel of the Silverado – was extracted from the car and transported to Morristown Medical Center with serious internal injuries, authorities said.

“Numerous open alcohol containers were found in the vicinity of the Silverado,” prosecutors noted in their statement.

Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, Veneziano has been released from the Morris County Correctional Facility on a series of non-monetary bail conditions, including surrender of his driver’s license and submission to alcohol testing, prosecutors said.

His next scheduled court appearance is July 29.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.