Garbage truck driver who admitted to NJ deadly crash gets prison

🔶 NJ driver gets prison for deadly crash

🔶 Garbage truck rear-ended SUV, which caught fire

🔶 Driver was on cell phone, video shows

A 45-year-old garbage truck driver who admitted to causing a deadly crash has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Angel Caraballo-Maldona, of Newark, had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless vehicular homicide on Aug. 29, stemming from the crash over three months earlier.

After 5 a.m. the morning of May 8, law enforcement officers in Pequannock Township responded to a crash involving a garbage truck and a 2020 Chevy Traverse at the intersection of Route 23 North and Alexander Avenue.

Investigators found the Traverse was stopped at a red light when it was struck from behind by the truck, driven by Caraballo-Maldona.

The SUV caught fire and its unconscious driver was pulled from the wreck by Caraballo-Maldona and a bystander — but the unidentified driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Video surveillance showed Caraballo-Maldona was using his cell phone at the time of the crash.

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