A Vineland man was convicted in connection to the August 2014 crash that caused the death of a 14-year-old female and injured three other occupants of the vehicle, Atlantic County First Assistant Prosecutor Cary Shill announced.
Nicholas Garreffi, 42, of Vineland, was convicted of:
1. Second degree Vehicular Homicide in the death of Aisling Cooke, 14.
2. Fourth degree Assault by Auto of M.W.
3. Fourth degree Assault by Auto of G.S.
4. Fourth degree Assault by Auto of K.B.
Garreffi was also found guilty of driving under the influence.
The State alleged that Garreffi operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, causing the death.
After Monday's verdict, Garreffi's bail was revoked and he was taken into custody pending sentence currently scheduled for September 22, 2017.
According to police, on August 30, 2014, at 8:42 a.m., Hamilton Township police responded to Route 40 milepost 43.7 for a motor vehicle accident involving three vehicles. The investigation determined that a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Garreffi crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, first striking a 2007 Mitsubishi box truck driven by Darrel Jacobs, 48, of Vineland, then striking a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta containing five occupants.
The driver of the Mitsubishi truck was unharmed.
The driver of the Volkswagen and two juvenile passengers sustained mild to moderate injuries, and were transported by ambulance to the Atlantic City Medical Center—CityDivision, for treatment.
The rear-seat driver’s side passenger, a 14-year-old female, was airlifted by Southstar helicopter to ACMC-City Division with critical injuries. She was pronounced dead at the hospital on September 3, 2014.
Garreffi was arrested on July 20, 2015 at the Hamilton Township Police Department by detectives from Hamilton Township and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Collision Unit and charged with second degree vehicular homicide.
"While this conviction will not return Aisling to her family and friends, we are hopeful that it will send a message to those who abuse legal and illegal drugs that if you operate a vehicle while under the influence and cause injury or death to another, you will be convicted and sent to prison as a result of your actions. The jury in this matter made that very clear," said First Assistant Prosecutor Cary Shill.
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