Two drivers involved in a deadly New Jersey car crash last summer were criminally charged after an investigation revealed they were both drunk at the time of the collision.
Zyasia Henson, of Long Branch, and Edgar Marcial-Diaz, of Red Bank, are each facing counts of second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of third-degree assault by auto, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Monday.
Henson was additionally charged with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree hindering apprehension, in connection with fatal incident.
Marcial-Diaz was driving alone when the collision occurred on Aug. 24, 2023, according to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. Henson, meanwhile, had four relatives in his vehicle, including 23-year-old Octavius Wallace, Henson’s 4-year-old and 1-year-old sons, and an unidentified 26-year-old woman.
When officers with Eatontown Police Department arrived on the scene, at the intersection of Route 35 and Broad Street, they quickly located the 2006 Nissan Altima operated by Henson and a 2002 Dodge Durango driven by Marcial-Diaz.
Wallace suffered “catastrophic injuries” in the collision and was pronounced dead a short time later. Henson’s 4-year-old son and the 26-year-old woman in his car also “sustained serious injuries” and were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
“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,” Santiago said.
Henson and Marcial-Diaz were additionally issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, failure to observe a traffic signal and reckless driving.
