A 22-year-old man fleeing police after a drug transaction in Trenton struck and killed a young woman in Hamilton Township last night, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported.
According to authorities, a preliminary investigation indicates that just before 10 p.m. Monday evening, the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Unit was conducting a narcotics investigation in Trenton.
Police said after observing what appeared to be an illegal drug transaction, Crime Suppression Units attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop on a gray Chevy Trailblazer.
The vehicle fled the scene at a high rate of speed and was pursued by police with their emergency lights and siren activated.
The pursuit led into Hamilton Township and the officers terminated the pursuit in the area of the Whitehorse Circle as the suspect vehicle continued north on Broad Street police said.
At the intersection of Broad Street and Park Avenue, the suspect vehicle ran the red light and struck a black Honda Civic attempting a left hand turn on Park Avenue.
The Civic was struck in the passenger side door and forced into a telephone pole.
The driver of the Trailblazer, later identified as **Chandler Heaviside**, exited the vehicle and fled on foot and was ultimately apprehended by the NJSP with assistance from the Trenton Police Street Crimes Unit.
Two other occupants in the suspect’s vehicle were also apprehended at the scene.
Lawrence Sears, age 28, of Manchester, NJ, and 25-year-old Harry Remington 3rd of Brick, NJ, were both treated and released from the hospital.
Each was issued a summons for drug possession for a bundle of heroin located on the car floorboard.
The driver of the Honda Civic, **22-year-old Deja Farrior of Trenton,** was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
A search of Heaviside at the time he was apprehended revealed additional heroin on his person.
Heaviside, age 22, of Jackson, NJ, is charged with drug possession, death by auto while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, causing death while driving with a suspended license, assault by auto and eluding.
The incident is being investigated by Detective Tony Abarno of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Serious Collision Response Team, the Hamilton Township Police Division Traffic Unit, and the New Jersey State Police.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Photo: Deja Farrior (Facebook)