N.J. man admits to drunken, high speed crash that killed pre-med student

A New Jersey man admitted Monday to driving drunk and speeding in a crash that killed a pre-med student last spring in Morris County.

Gerald J. Veneziano, 41, of Belleville, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree reckless vehicular homicide and a driving under the influence traffic charge in the May 31, crash that killed Jacob Davis, of Flanders, according to a spokesperson for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors will recommend Veneziano be sentenced to six years in state prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 14. He will be required to serve 85% of the sentence as required under the state’s No Early Release Act, the prosecutor’s office said.

Veneziano will also be required to pay nearly $9,000 in restitution to the Davis family, according to a NorthJersey.com report.

Davis, 18, was driving south on Howard Boulevard in Roxbury about 10:15 p.m. when his car and Veneziano’s northbound pickup collided head-on, authorities said.

Both vehicles burst into flames. Jacobs died at the scene, while Veneziano was taken to Morristown Medical Center with serious injuries.

Two blood draws showed Veneziano’s blood-alcohol content level was 0.13%, which is over the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the NorthJersey.com report.

Investigators determined Veneziano was driving at more than 90 mph in a 50 mph zone when he collided with Davis’s car, according to the report.

Veneziano’s attorney did not immediately return a call Thursday seeking comment on the plea.

Davis was home after having completed his freshman year at Northeastern University, where he was majoring in pre-med and behavioral neuroscience, according to his LinkedIn.

According to the profile, Davis was Red Cross certified, a volunteer who cared for animals, and a world traveler who spoke Japanese.

He was remembered as “kind, considerate, and compassionate,” person during a memorial service that was live-streamed on YouTube.

Davis’s mother, Deborah, told the West Essex Tribune last year that her son had an infectious laugh and that he always tried to help others.