Suffern teen to be tried as adult in Montebello crash that killed 1, injured 3

The 17-year-old from Suffern is accused of driving under the influence when he crashed his car, killing one passenger and injuring three others last week on Route 202.

News 12 Staff

Apr 30, 2021, 9:37 PM

Updated 1,226 days ago

Share:

The criminal case involving a teen who is charged in a deadly Montebello crash will remain in youth court, but the young man is being tried as an adult.
The 17-year-old from Suffern is accused of driving under the influence when he crashed his car, killing one passenger and injuring three others last week on Route 202.
While investigators accuse the teen of being under the influence, there are still no results from the teen's blood test to confirm that.
Less than a week after the horrific crash claimed the life of one teen and injured three others, the teen behind the wheel returned to court Friday.
The appearance comes the day after a funeral for Jacqueline Zangrilli, the 16-year-old who died in the crash.
Officials accuse the 17-year-old driver of going 70 mph while on drugs and alcohol when he crashed into a telephone pole, killing Zangrilli and injuring the other three passengers. One passenger sustained a fractured jaw, hip and clavicle, along with a lacerated liver. Another has a lacerated spleen, along with a pelvic and skull fracture.
At least one of them remains hospitalized.
The teen has been charged with manslaughter, DWI, vehicular manslaughter and a host of other felony charges.
Prosecutors said Friday that the teen admitted to police that he drank five White Claws and smoked marijuana, but their attorney says transcripts of these conversations show no admission from his client.
Prosecutors also claim that the teen failed field sobriety tests, but his attorney says he was just in a serious crash, and that his speech and motor function would naturally be rattled.
As for the terms of his release, he is not allowed to go anywhere without his parents, must check in every day with his probation officer, can't drive, and can't communicate with the surviving passengers.