Police Sergeant Charged With Vehicular Homicide After Fatal Crash On NJ Highway

This story has been updated to include a comment from the East Hanover police chief.

RIVERDALE, NJ — An East Hanover police sergeant faces multiple charges in a fatal head-on crash that happened on Route 23 in Riverdale earlier this month.

Officials said he showed signs of being under the influence at the crash scene.

The collision took place on Tuesday, Oct. 15 around 11 p.m., on the northbound side of Route 23 near the exits for Interstate 287. Officials said Keith M. Gunther, 42, of Wanaque was driving the wrong way down the highway in a Ford F-150 when he crashed into a Toyota Camry.

First responders pronounced a passenger in the Toyota dead at the scene, and took the car's driver to St. Joseph's University Medical Center. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old Hamid Shabuddin of Paterson.

Gunther was first taken to Riverdale Police headquarters before being moved to Chilton Hospital for care, officials said. He faces a second-degree vehicular homicide charge and a third-degree assault by auto charge in connection with the crash, and authorities also issued him a summons for driving while intoxicated.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Riverdale Police Chief Charles Quant announced the charges against Gunther on Wednesday.

Gunther was released from custody on pre-trial conditions, including the surrender of his driver's license and passport, refraining from "excessive use" of alcohol, and weekly pre-trial monitoring. His next scheduled court appearance is Dec. 9, for a pre-indictment conference.

East Hanover Police Chief Christopher Cannizzo said Gunther has been employed with the department for 15 years, and that he was immediately suspended upon being charged. He had no further comment.