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Michael Pillarella of Manahawkin was indicted by a grand jury for vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, assault by auto and other charges, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The charges are in connection with a fatal crash on Jan. 30 in Little Egg Harbor that resulted in the death of a juvenile passenger in the other car, Billhimer said.
The young passenger died 10 days after the head-on crash and the driver of the car, also a juvenile, is recovering from serious injuries, he said.
Neither of their names were released by authorities, but the Press of Atlantic City identified them as students at Pinelands Regional High School.
Charges against Pillarella were upgraded after a blood draw revealed that he was under the influence of Alprazolam, Methadone and Fentanyl at the time of the crash, Billhimer said.
That made him "unfit to operate a vehicle" at the time of the crash, the prosecutor said.
Pillarella also was charged with speeding, he said, at an estimated 74 mph.
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