Months after crash kills Branchburg teen, NJ driver, 17, arrested

BRANCHBURG TOWNSHIP – Months after a tragic single-vehicle crash killed a local teenager, a 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with the incident.

A Branchburg teen, whose identity was not disclosed due to his age, was charged on Wednesday with second-degree death by auto, according to Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Thomas Chirichella.

That teen had been driving a 2006 Toyota Scion with two passengers at the time of the crash on Oct. 8, authorities said.

Vincent “Vinny” Gagliardi, 17, of Branchburg, as identified by his family, was thrown from the car and died following the crash.

The Scion was headed west on Fairview Drive when it hit several roadside objects across a stretch of several hundred feet, Chirichella said.

The driver and rear seat passenger were treated at the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office, while Gagliardi was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Gagliardi, a Somerville High School student, had worked part time as a cashier at ShopRite in Branchburg and was active in local sports — including soccer, baseball, ski club as well as being a skateboarder, according to his obituary.

Anyone with information on the fatal crash can contact the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office at 908- 231-7100 or via the STOPit app.

As of Saturday, the juvenile was being held at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center pending an appearance in Somerset County Family Court.

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.