NJ man gets 22-years for gunning down 19-year-old SUV driver at stop sign

⚫ South Jersey man, already in prison, gets lengthier term for a deadly shooting

⚫ A 19-year-old driver stopped at an intersection was struck in a hail of bullets

⚫ The state attorney general says the heavier sentence sends a message against gun violence

A Millville man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for opening fire on an SUV at an intersection nearly five years ago, killing a 19-year-old driver.

Terrell Savage was previously convicted in Cumberland County Superior Court of first-degree manslaughter.

The 37-year-old would have to serve at least 18 years of that term before becoming eligible for parole.

The sentence would begin after a 15-year term that Savage has been serving since June 2018, for an unrelated firearms offense, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

Young Millville man was driving through intersection at time of ‘unprovoked’ attack

Maurice “Reese” Lewis, of Millville, was driving a Chevy Suburban with two passengers late one night in May 2018.

The SUV was at a stop sign when Savage, who had been walking along one of the streets, fired 10 shots from a handgun with a 14-round magazine.

Eight of them struck the Suburban — one shot hitting Lewis in the head, prosecutors said.

The SUV then crashed into a parked car.

Both passengers remained unharmed, but Lewis died at a local hospital two days later.

Savage was arrested four days after the deadly encounter, which investigators found to be “unprovoked.”

Lewis had graduated from Millville High School in 2016, where he played football and ran track, according to his obituary.

He was in training at Pennco Tech in Blackwood to become a mechanic at the time of his killing.

Gunman’s girlfriend admits to helping Savage after the shooting

Savage’s girlfriend, Tashannah Wilkins, also of Millville, faced separate charges, for allegedly driving Savage away after the shooting and later driving him back so he could try to find and hide the gun.

As of April, Wilkins had pleaded guilty to hindering and has been awaiting sentencing, according to state officials.

“No one deserves to live in a community where you can be shot to death while driving down the street, as this innocent victim was,” state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a written statement on Monday.

Platkin continued “The lengthy prison sentence we obtained in this case demonstrates our commitment to protecting our residents from the threat of gun violence and sends a clear message that this kind of lawless conduct will not be tolerated.”

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

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