5 Years For Old Bridge Man Who Drove Drunk On Rt. 18, Killed Woman

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — An Old Bridge man was just sentenced to five years in state prison for causing a fatal crash on Rt. 18 last July, where he admitted to driving drunk, turning the wrong way on Rt. 18, crashing his car and killing a Sayreville woman, who was a passenger in another car.

The man is James Cannici, 21, of Old Bridge. He was sentenced June 14 to five years in prison, subject to the No Early Release Act, which means he will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. Once he is released from prison, Cannici will be on parole supervision for three years, and will have his New Jersey driving privileges suspended for five years.

However, five years after his release from prison, he can then drive again in New Jersey.

The fatal crash happened at 11:17 p.m. July 16, 2023, on Rt. 18 at Ferris Road: Police responded to a serious motor vehicle collision involving three vehicles.

Florence Akoma, 45, of Sayreville, a passenger in one of the cars, a Honda Accord, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the same Honda Accord was seriously injured.

Police say Cinnici was driving a Nissan Rogue: He turned left from Ferris Road onto the wrong side of Rt. 18 and struck the Honda Accord and the third car.

Cannici was arrested at the scene and charged with driving while intoxicated. He was subsequently charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide, third-degree aggravated assault and fourth-degree assault by auto.

On Feb. 2 of this year, Cannici pled guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, multiple assault by auto charges and driving while intoxicated (he admitted to being under the influence of alcohol, said a spokeswoman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor).

The fatal crash, and the death of Florence Akoma, was investigated by Old Bridge Police Detective Dan Haviland and Detective James Alleva of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.