By BRIAN DONOHUE
CORRECTION: This story has been edited to correct an error in the press release by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office which misidentified the deceased as the mother of two children traveling in the car. The mother survived the crash, while the passenger was killed.
A Red Bank man and another driver from Long Branch were both charged with vehicular homicide in a crash that took the life of a passenger in one of the cars last summer. Police say the drivers of both cars involved in the crash were intoxicated and ran red lights.
Zyasia M. Henson, 28, of Long Branch and Edgar G. Marcial-Diaz, 32, of Red Bank are both charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of third-degree Assault by Auto in the August 24 crash in Eatontown, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office announced Monday.
Additionally, Henson is charged with two counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child as well as third-degree Hindering Apprehension.
From the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s news release:
At approximately 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, 2023, members of the Eatontown Police Department responded to the intersection of Route 35 and Broad Street on a report of a motor vehicle crash; there they located the two involved vehicles, a 2006 Nissan Altima operated by Henson and a 2002 Dodge Durango operated by Marcial-Diaz.
Marcial-Diaz was the only occupant of his vehicle, while Henson’s vehicle had four relatives as passengers, including a 26-year-old woman, 23-year-old Octavius Wallace of Lake City, South Carolina, and her 4-year-old and 1-year-old sons.
Wallace sustained catastrophic injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Both drivers and Henson’s 1-year-old son escaped serious injury, despite the infant child being ejected from the vehicle as a result of the crash. Henson’s adult female passenger and her older son sustained serious injuries and were transported to local medical facilities for treatment.
An investigation involving members of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Monmouth County Serious Collision Response Team (SCART), and the Eatontown Police Department ultimately determined that both drivers failed to stop for red lights on their respective sides of the roadway. The investigation also determined that both drivers were under the influence of one or more intoxicating substances at the time of the crash. Henson and Marcial-Diaz were criminally charged last month pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court. They were also both issued summonses for Driving While Intoxicated, Failure to Observe a Traffic Signal, and Reckless Driving.
Phone calls to attorneys representing both men charged were not immediately returned.
Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
