Both drivers criminally charged with involvement in fatal crash while intoxicated
FREEHOLD – Both drivers involved in a fatal two-vehicle collision last summer in Eatontown have been criminally charged after an investigation revealed they were both intoxicated at the time of the crash, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Monday.
Zyasia M. Henson, 28, of Long Branch, and Edgar G. Marcial-Diaz, 32, of Red Bank, are both charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of third-degree assault by auto, Santiago said. Additionally, Henson is charged with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree hindering apprehension.
At approximately 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, 2023, Eatontown Police responded to the intersection of Route 35 and Broad Street on a report of a motor vehicle crash, the prosecutor said. There, they found the two involved vehicles: a 2006 Nissan Altima operated by Henson and a 2002 Dodge Durango operated by Marcial-Diaz.
Marcial-Diaz was the only occupant of his vehicle, while Henson’s vehicle had four relatives as passengers, including a 26-year-old woman whom police did not identify, 23-year-old Octavius Wallace of Lake City, South Carolina, and Henson's 4-year-old and 1-year-old sons, Santiago said. Wallace sustained catastrophic injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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, according to the prosecutor. Henson’s adult female passenger and her older son sustained serious injuries and were taken to local medical facilities for treatment.
An investigation involving members of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Monmouth County Serious Collision Response Team (SCART) and the Eatontown Police Department ultimately determined that both drivers failed to stop for red lights on their respective sides of the roadway, Santiago said. The investigation also found that both drivers were under the influence of one or more intoxicating substances at the time of the crash.
Henson and Marcial-Diaz were criminally charged in March pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court, the prosecutor said. They were also both issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, failure to observe a traffic signal and reckless driving.
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Both drivers charged in fatal 2023 crash in Eatontown
