LAKEWOOD — A Brick Township man has been charged in a March crash that killed a Manchester man after authorities said he drove more than two miles in the wrong lane at over 100 mph before colliding head-on with another vehicle.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Wednesday that Brian Baldari, 47, is charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and assault by auto in the death of 66-year-old Edwin Borja.
Police said the crash happened about 5:50 a.m. March 7 on Route 70 near Airport Road and involved eight vehicles. Investigators determined Baldari’s Cadillac CT5 Blackwing was traveling west in the eastbound lane when it struck Borja’s Mazda CX5 head-on, then hit additional vehicles before stopping and catching fire.
Baldari was trapped in the Cadillac before being airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and later taken to Weill Cornell Medicine Burn Center in New York City. Borja was also airlifted to Jersey Shore, where he died March 18 from his injuries. One other driver was treated and released; the others were uninjured.
Billhimer said investigators found Baldari was traveling about 103 mph in the wrong lane before the crash. He surrendered to Lakewood police Wednesday and was taken to the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The prosecutor credited the Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood police and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their work on the case.
