Teen Charged With Vehicular Homicide After Crash Killed 2 In South Jersey

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Maryland teen was charged with vehicular homicide after a crash that killed two people, including a child, and injured several others earlier this month on the New Jersey Turnpike in Gloucester County, officials confirmed to Patch on Wednesday.

Cesar Ivan Martinez-Adino, 19, lost control of his SUV, which went down an embankment and struck a tree just after 1 a.m. May 18 in Harrison Township, authorities said.

Four of the six people in the car were flung out of the vehicle. Two people died, and four others were hospitalized, according to State Police.

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An affidavit says police recovered a pink cellphone outside the SUV that was recording video when it was found, according to nj.com. The footage showed Martinez-Adino driving recklessly, using a phone while driving, nearly hitting another car and then getting into the crash, the report says.

Several empty beer bottles and a mixed-drink cocktail were found in the vehicle, according to nj.com. Toxicology results on the driver are pending.

Martinez-Adino also drove without a license, police said.

Two teens have been identified as the deceased victims: Juan Carlos Munguia-Palma, 19, and Dennis Burgos, 14. Both were from Hyattsville, Maryland — as is the driver.

Three people, including Martinez-Adino, were seriously injured, while another passenger sustained moderate injuries, officials said.

Martinez-Adino was charged with:

• second-degree vehicular homicide (two counts)
• third-degree child endangerment (two counts)
• third-degree causing death while unlicensed (two counts)
• third-degree assault by auto
• fourth-degree causing serious injury while driving without a license (two counts)
• fourth-degree assault by auto

Martinez-Adino remains hospitalized because of his injuries as of Wednesday morning, a State Police spokesperson told Patch.

Once discharged, he will be placed in the Salem County Correctional Facility, which provides jailing services for Gloucester County.

The investigation remains active.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Martinez-Adino on Wednesday.