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Edward W. Johnston, of Galloway Township, was charged with aggravated manslaughter after an investigation found he struck a parked vehicle with the boy in it, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Johnston allegedly was intoxicated and speeding at the time of the crash, the prosecutor said.
On July 23, 2023, at 3:25 a.m., Javier Velez was killed on the White Horse Pike in Absecon when the family car that he was sleeping in was struck by a Nissan Sentra, driven by Johnston, Daily Voice previously reported.
The boy had been on a fishing trip with his father.
An investigation found that Johnston was allegedly in a state of intoxication that impaired his ability to drive, the prosecutor said.
It also was determined that Johnston was recklessly speeding when he left the roadway and struck the parked vehicle, the prosecutor said.
The case was investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Crash Investigation Unit with cooperation from the Absecon City Police Department.
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