18-Year-Old Charged In Crash That Killed Teen Passenger In Mercer

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – An 18-year-old West Windsor resident has been charged in connection with a crash that killed the teen passenger of the vehicle, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton and West Windsor Police Chief Robert Garofalo said Tuesday.

Rehan Jahangir, 18, of West Windsor, is charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide (death by auto), third-degree vehicular homicide (strict liability), and fourth-degree possession of a false government document. He was served his complaints on Monday evening at a rehabilitation facility in New Brunswick, Hilton said.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 3:49 a.m., West Windsor police responded to a crash on Lanwin Boulevard in the area of Providence Drive.

On arrival, officers found a 2024 Tesla Model Y that had left the road and collided with a tree, causing significant intrusion into the passenger side of the vehicle.

Officers rendered first aid to the two occupants until they were extricated from the vehicle and taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

On Aug. 24, the passenger of the vehicle, 18-year-old Daniel Haas of Princeton Junction, died as a result of his injuries, Hilton said.

According to an investigation, the Tesla, driven by Jahangir with Haas as a passenger in the front seat, was traveling in the northbound lane of Lanwin Boulevard when it left the road and crashed head on into a tree just past the intersection of Providence Drive. Jahangir and Haas suffered life-threatening injuries.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaints, Jahangir was driving the Tesla while under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol content of 0.125 percent.

He was also operating his vehicle at a maximum speed of 78 miles per hour on a 35 MPH road, the criminal complaint said.

At the time of the crash, Jahangir was in possession of a fraudulent New Jersey driver’s license with an altered date of birth.

The investigation was conducted by the West Windsor Township Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Serious Collision Response Team, specifically WWPD Traffic Officer Edward McQuade, WWPD Detective Dominick Fiore, and MCPO SCRT Detectives Kayleigh Colligan and Ryan Minnick.

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