DRUG ADDICTS TAKE MORE LIVES ON THE DEADLY U.S. ROADS:
BEDMINSTER TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A woman has been charged with third-degree murder after a fatal crash last month in Bucks County.
Jaclyn Jones, 30, of Foeller Lane in Nockamixon Township, was charged on Thursday for the crash that killed a 21-year-old man and seriously injured his 20-year-old girlfriend.
The crash happened on Route 611 in Bedminster Township around 9 p.m. on August 30.
Friday night, Action News spoke with the family of 20-year-old Gaby Otero off camera.
They say she is home from the hospital, but has a long road ahead of her - a fractured skull, brain trauma and numerous broken bones.
They say an arrest is just one step towards justice for their daughter and her late boyfriend.
Police say Jones had numerous prescription drugs in her system, including amphetamine, oxycodone, and fentanyl when she crossed the center line, killing 21-year-old Chris Marinelli and badly injuring his girlfriend, 20-year-old Gabrialle Otero.
Bucks County Deputy DA Robert James said, "One of the reasons she's charged with 3rd degree murder in this case is because as the affidavit states, she's on her 3rd DUI.
Authorities say she was also driving with a suspended license.
She was granted an occupational limited license by PennDOT to drive to and from work. But authorities say on August 30, she was shopping at the Willow Grove Mall.
"We have a receipt that demonstrates she was coming from a shopping spree," District Attorney James said.
James is Chief of the Homicide by Vehicle Unit for the Bucks County district attorney's office. He says he's seeing an alarming number of cases like this one.
"In the past 9 months alone, my office has charged five different defendants with 3rd degree murder in crash related cases," he said.
He hopes more serious charges with more potential jail time - like 3rd degree murder will deter people from driving under the influence.
Now, the family of Chris Marinelli is raising money for his girlfriend's medical expenses through a GoFundMe campaign, hoping someday she'll be able to return to Temple University where she was studying bio-chemistry.
The district attorneys' office, quoting an affidavit, said "Jones' parents told police that their daughter takes prescription drugs as a result of Lyme disease, including oxycodone and clonazepam. They said she typically took the oxycodone around 8 p.m."
Along with third-degree murder, Jones was also charged with aggravated assault and homicide by vehicle while DUI.
She is being held on 10% of $1 million cash. A preliminary hearing is set for next month.
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BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) – A 30-year-old woman is facing serious charges, including 3rd degree murder, for a deadly crash on Route 611.
Jaclyn Jones crossed the yellow line on Easton Road, just south of old Easton Road, police say, and crashed head-on into a car driven by Christopher Marinelli. Marinelli was pronounced dead at the scene.
In addition to homicide by vehicle while DUI, Jones is also charged with 3rd degree murder.
According to charging documents, Jones had drugs including Oxycodone and Fentanyl in her system. And while she did have a prescription, investigators say the drugs would have impaired her ability to drive.
The complaint also says Jones’ license was suspended for a second DUI. She was allowed to drive to work, on what’s called a bread-and-butter license. But police say she was shopping at Willow Grove Mall, a violation of the Occupational Limited License.
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Man killed in Bedminster head-on collision with druggie female driver
By Bob Keeler Sep 1, 2017
BEDMINSTER, NJ A 21-year-old Bedminster man was killed and two others were taken to hospitals, one by medical helicopter, following an accident about 9:12 p.m. Aug. 27 on Route 611 just south of Old Easton Road, Bedminster Township Police Department said.
Christopher Michael Marinelli was declared dead at the scene, police said.
Marinelli was driving a 1997 Saturn south on Route 611 and Jaclyn Jones, 30, of Nockamixon, was driving a 2012 Jeep Patriot north on Route 611 when the crash happened, police said. Witnesses said Jones’s vehicle crossed over into the opposite lane before the driver’s sides of the two vehicles collided, police said.
Jones was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital by Point Pleasant-Plumsteadville EMS, police said.
Gabrialle Otero, 20, of Bedminster, who was a passenger in Marinelli’s vehicle, was trapped in the vehicle and extricated by Plumsteadville and Ottsville fire companies, police said. She was flown by medical helicopter to Temple University Hospital where she was in critical condition the following day, police said.
A portion of Route 611 was closed following the accident until about 1 a.m., police said.
Investigation into the accident is continuing, with the help of a crash reconstruction team from the Bucks County District Attorney’s office, police said.
“It’ll be a little bit before everything gets put together on the exact factors on how this happened,” Bedminster Township police Sgt. Brian Pfaff said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Bedminster Township Police Department at 215-795-2972.