Driver Charged In Fiery Crash That Killed Man In Morris County

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A garbage truck driver has been charged in Monday’s fatal crash on Route 23 in Pequannock, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Angel Carabello-Maldona, 45, of Newark, was charged with reckless vehicular homicide after investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed him using his cell phone as his truck hit another car at 5:18 a.m.

According to prosecutors, a man driving a 2020 Chevy Traverse was stopped at a red light when he was hit from behind by the garbage truck.

The two cars caught fire as a result, police said.

While a bystander and first responders were successful in extricating the driver of the Traverse from his burning vehicle, rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

A postmortem examination is still underway, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.

Carabello-Maldona has been detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility in accordance with the Criminal Justice Reform Act, pending his first court appearance.

Following the crash, the northbound lanes of Route 23 were closed for several hours while authorities investigated. However, the highway was reopened in the afternoon.