One of the drivers involved in an illegal car rally at the Jersey Shore in September of 2022 has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing two people, officials announced.
Gerald White, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged in connection to the deadly crash after he was accused of hitting a 2014 Honda Civic and two pedestrians, authorities said at the time.
White was sentenced on two counts of aggravated manslaughter to 25 years in New Jersey state prison as well as two counts of aggravated assault to 10 years in prison concurrent to the 25 years.
His blood alcohol level was more than two times over the legal limit, officials said.
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White pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges back in November.
Officials say that he is subject to the No Early Release Act on all counts so he must serve 85% of his sentence before he will be eligible for parole.
White's 2003 Infiniti was at a "standing stop" before authorities said it took off and hit at least one vehicle and pedestrians.
The prosecutor's office said it was around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2022, at Burk and Atlantic avenues in Wildwood when White first struck a 2014 Honda Civic, then two pedestrians. White had tried to leave the scene amid the chaos of the unsanctioned H2Oi event, but was quickly caught and arrested, the office said.
The passenger in the Honda Civic, 34-year-old Timothy Ogden of Clayton, New Jersey, was rushed to Atlantic City Medical Center but authorities said he died a short time later.
One of the pedestrians, 18-year-old Lindsay Weakland of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, died at the scene, the prosecutor's office stated.
“The tragic deaths of Lindsay Weakland and Timothy Ogden are heart breaking losses for their friends, loved ones and family that can never be overcome. I am proud of the work done by the Detectives, Assistant Prosecutors and the Victim Witness Unit in my office and the members of the Wildwood Police Department that made sure justice was done for their families," Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a statement.
"We called the police," said Mary Sclafani, who was visiting Wildwood at the time of the incident. "They barricaded the street, and the people just took the barricades and threw them. It was totally havoc, I was worried for the police."
Videos posted on social media depicted people hanging out of cars as drivers spun in circles surrounded by a large crowd in the city, as well as burnouts, racing, drifting and crashes.
The videos also showed modified vehicles revving engines and speeding off to cheers from the crowds gathered on the streets.
Damage to storefronts and downed traffic meters were observed the Sunday morning after the incident during the cleanup efforts.
Participants say the H2Oi event gives enthusiasts a chance to gather and check out cars, but officials in other areas such as Ocean City, Maryland, have reported problems stemming from the event in previous years.
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