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Dylan Weatherwalks of Chesterfield surrendered to authorities on Thursday, Feb. 3 and was being held at Burlington County Jail pending a first appearance in Superior Court. He's accused of speeding and driving recklessly, striking Julie Galezniak, 62, of Stratford, who was pronounced dead later that afternoon, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Chesterfield Township Police Chief Michael Davison.
Heartbroken cyclists detailed the "reckless" crash on social media, as reported here.
An investigation began after Chesterfield police were dispatched to the scene of the collision on Dec. 4, 2021, at approximately 12:15 p.m., Coffina and Davison said.
The investigation revealed that Weatherwalks came upon a group of cyclists in his pickup truck while traveling southbound along Sykesville Road, a two-lane roadway with no shoulders, Coffina and Davison said. Weatherwalks allegedly veered into the northbound lane to pass the cyclists on a hill with an obstructed view of oncoming traffic, they said.
The investigation further revealed that as Weatherwalks crested the hill, he encountered a vehicle traveling toward him and "veered back into the southbound lane, over-correcting and striking" Galezniak, they said.
Galezniak was thrown from her bike and sustained severe injuries, including a fractured skull, they said. She was airlifted to a Trenton hospital and died later that afternoon.
An analysis performed by the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Reconstruction Unit determined that Weatherwalks was traveling at a speed of 75 mph as he approached the cyclists in his Chevrolet Silverado, the prosecutor said. The speed limit along that stretch of Sykesville Road is posted as 50 mph.
In addition to the criminal charges, Weatherwalks was issued traffic summonses for speeding, reckless driving, careless driving, and improper passing Coffina and Davison said.
The investigation was conducted by the Chesterfield Township Police Department, the Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police.
Assistant Prosecutor Julian Harris is handling the case.
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