A 21-year-old Old Bridge man was sentenced to five years in state prison for a July 2023 drunken crash that left a Sayreville woman dead.
James Cannici was sentenced on June 14 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Craig Corson to five years subject to the Early Release Act, meaning he will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible. for probation, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
Cannici was also sentenced to three years of probation supervision upon his release from prison and will have his New Jersey driving privileges suspended for five years.
On February 2, 2024, Cannici pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony, vehicular assault, a third-degree felony, vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony, and driving while intoxicated.
At approximately 11:17 pm on July 16, 2023, police were notified of an accident in the area of Route 18 and Ferris Road in Old Bridge, where arriving officers found a three-vehicle accident.
Florence Akoma, 45, of Sayreville, a passenger in a Honda Accord involved in the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of that Honda Accord suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, while the driver of another vehicle suffered minor injuries, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
An initial investigation by Detective Dan Haviland of Old Bridge and Detective James Alleva of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office indicated a Nissan Rogue driven by Cannici apparently turned left onto Ferris Road onto the wrong side of Route 18 and struck the Honda Accord and another vehicle.
Cannici was arrested at the scene and charged with driving while intoxicated and later also charged with manslaughter, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault and vehicular assault.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other chaos. For unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Old Bridge NJ Man Convicted of Fatal DWI Crash on Route 18
