NJ man charged in fatal crash after cheesesteak trip while high

A Union City man has been charged with killing his friend in a car crash after driving to Philadelphia to buy cheesesteaks while under the influence of marijuana.

Johnalex Grullon, 20, lost control of his Honda Accord on Oct. 19 on the New Jersey Turnpike in Mansfield. Grullon and his two passengers — none of whom, officials say, were wearing seat belts — were ejected from the car.

Mohamedam Elbezaz, a 21-year-old North Bergen man who had been riding in the rear, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said that on the return trip from the city, the Accord went off the roadway in Mansfield, striking a guardrail, spinning back onto the roadway until it hit the concrete median and then ended back in the middle of traffic, where it struck another car.

Burlington County prosecutors said Thursday that a blood test revealed that Grullon had "marijuana in his system at a level unfit to safely to operate a motor vehicle."

He was charged this week with second-degree vehicular homicide, third-degree assault by auto and misdemeanor drug possession.

New Jersey 101.5 did not know Thursday whether Grullon had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.