Egg Harbor City Man Pleads Guilty To Killing A Child In Fatal Crash
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 1:00 P.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
ABSECON, NJ.- Last Thursday, February 27, 2025, Edward Johnston, 25, of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, appeared in Atlantic County Superior Court and pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter in connection with driving under the influence that resulted in the death of eight-year-old Javier Velez in Absecon, New Jersey on July 23, 2023.
According to Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds, in return for the guilty plea, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend that Johnston be sentenced to a term of fifteen years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act, which will require Johnston to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole.
Johnston Admits Guilt To Driving Drunk And Causing Crash
The guilty plea stems from an investigation that revealed that Johnston was intoxicated and was traveling at around 107 miles per hour Westbound on the White Horse Pike in Absecon when his vehicle left the lane of travel and crashed into the rear-end of a parked vehicle, where 8-year-old Javier was sleeping while his father and brother and brother were fishing just outside the vehicle.
Following entering his guilty plea on Thursday, Superior Court Judge Joseph Levin accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025, in Atlantic County Superior Court in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
