Crime & Safety
PA Man Sentenced To 3 Years For Fatal Crash Near Edison: Prosecutor
Teyonna Balkman, 23, was killed in the crash that occured on March 27, 2023, Middlesex County Prosecutor said.
EDISON, NJ - A 32-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to three years in prison for a fatal crash that occurred on March 27, 2023, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said Monday.
Yvenson Louis was sentenced on June 12, by the Hon. Thomas Abode, J.S.C., to three years in the custody of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA), which means he will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Louis will be on parole supervision for three years upon his release from prison and will have his New Jersey driving privileges suspended for five years upon his release.
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On March 27, 2023, around 2:42 a.m., the New Jersey State Police responded to the Southbound side of the New Jersey Turnpike at mile marker 87.5 following the report of a crash.
On arrival, authorities found two vehicles, a 2012 Dodge Journey that had hit the rear of a 2019 Volvo TNR Tractor-Trailer. As a result of the crash, Teyonna Balkman, 23, of Philadelphia, PA, a passenger in the Dodge, succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
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An investigation conducted by Detective Michael Silvestre of NJSP determined that Louis was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana while driving the 2012 Dodge Journey when he rear ended the Tractor-Trailer at a high rate of speed.
The impact of the crash caused the front seat passenger, Balkman to sustain serious injuries which led to her death, Ciccone said.
The driver, Louis, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University for treatment. The other passengers of the Dodge and the driver of the tractor-trailer were unharmed in the crash.
On June 22, 2023, Louis was arrested and charged with first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter and second-degree Vehicular Homicide. he pled guilty on April 8, to second-degree Vehicular Homicide and Driving Under the Influence.
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