Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Chief Robert Regalbuto of the Wildwood Police Department announced an arrest has been made and charges have been filed against Gerald J. White, 37, from Pittsburgh, PA, who was the at fault driver involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash involving pedestrians.
According to officials, on Saturday September 24, at approximately 9:36 PM, patrol officers from the Wildwood Police Department were called to the area of Burk and Atlantic Avenues for the report of a multi vehicle crash involving pedestrians.
Upon arrival it was learned that White, who was driving a 2003 Infinity attempted to flee the scene but was quickly apprehended.
Cape May County officials said Members of the Wildwood Police Department and Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Crash Unit responded to the scene to conduct the investigation.
The preliminary investigation has determined White first struck a 2014 Honda Civic and then two pedestrians. Sadly, one of the pedestrians, Lindsay Weakland, 18, from Carlisle, PA was pronounced dead at the scene.
Timothy Ogden, 34, from Clayton, NJ who was a passenger in the 2014 Honda Civic, was transported to the Atlantic City Medical Center but later died as a result of his injuries.
Gerald White was charged with two counts of Death by Auto, crimes of the 2nd degree; two counts of Assault by Auto, crimes of the 2nd degree; one count of Eluding, a crime of the 2nd degree; one count of Leaving the Scene of an Accident, a crime of the 3rd degree and one count of Violation of Laws to Protect Public Safety, a crime of the 3rd degree.
White was processed and lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending Court proceedings.
According to Prosecutor Sutherland, the full circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation and additional charges may be filed. Prosecutor Sutherland has also released the following statement:
“I would first like to share my sincere condolences with the families of the two victims who were needlessly killed and those that have been injured.
Their lives will be forever changed. Make no mistake that the tragic and dangerous events over the last several days in Wildwood, Rio Grande, Seaville and surrounding communities are a direct result of the organizers of a pop-up car rally self-identified as H2Oi or H2O22.
Directing hundreds if not thousands of people driving high performance vehicles to an area without any planning, staging or permitting created the chaos that led to these deaths and injuries.
Anyone thinking of engaging in organizing any type of similar pop-up event is forewarned that there will be a swift and appropriate law enforcement and legal response.
We have heard of tragic deaths around this country based on stray bullets from illegal shootings hitting innocent bystanders and children; this is no different.
Driving a motor vehicle at a high speed in a populated area is essentially the same as discharging a firearm. The results are the same, death and injury.
Further, the size and weight of a motor vehicle also results in the destruction of private and public property. I would like to commend the members of the Cape May County Prosecutors Office, Wildwood Police Department, Middle Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Atlantic City Police Department and all of our local law enforcement partners who responded thru mutual aid to gain control of the situation as well as the fire and medical first responders who provided aid to the victims.”
Prosecutor Sutherland urges anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 465-1135, or the information can be reported anonymously through the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office Anonymous TIP System by visiting cmcpo.tips from any computer, tablet, or smart phone.
Information can also be reported to the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers, 609-889-3597.