Cop Involved In Crash That Killed NJ Teen Faces Grand Jury

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — A Sussex County police sergeant was exonerated following a crash that killed a Sussex County teenager last year, the New Jersey Attorney General said.

Sergeant William Grissom of the Franklin Police Department was brought before a grand jury this week, which decided he would receive no criminal charges regarding the fatal crash.

The deliberation comes more than a year after the crash, which killed 19-year-old Deanna D’Arco, of Vernon.

The crash took place on May 27, 2024, around 10:30 a.m. in Franklin Borough. According to the investigation, Grissom was on duty in his police car, headed south on Route 23 at around 40 mph, when he crashed into a black Honda Prelude, in which D’Arco was riding as a front-seat passenger.

According to the investigation, the crash happened when the Honda “emerged from behind vehicles that were in traffic on the northbound side of the roadway, crossed the double yellow line on Route 23, and attempted to head north in the southbound lane.”

As a result, Grissom’s car smashed into the passenger side of the Honda, where D’Arco was sitting.

After calling for backup, Grissom got out of his car and helped remove the door of the smashed-in Honda. He then directed traffic while EMS personnel arrived.

D’Arco was rushed to the Morristown Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead two days after the crash.

The driver of the Honda and Grissom were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). Evidence collected during the course of the investigation, including dispatch and 911 audio, civilian and police interviews, photographs, crash investigation reports, data from the police car’s data event recorder, toxicology results for both drivers, and autopsy results from the medical examiner, was presented to a grand jury.

Also presented to the grand jury was dashcam and surveillance footage of the crash, which can be seen here. (Editor’s Note: this footage contains explicit language and imagery that some readers may find disturbing.)

The footage shows the Honda crossing over the double-yellow line and attempting to turn right into oncoming traffic just before Grissom’s car slams into it.

After reviewing the evidence, the jury decided on Monday that no criminal charges should be filed against Grissom.