'Incomprehensible speed': Paralyzed victim spoke of crash that gets NY Jets cornerback PTI

New York Jets' cornerback Brandin Echols, who in 2021 was thrust into the spotlight as a promising rookie, was accepted in a diversionary program to avoid assault by auto charges in a high-speed crash in Florham Park in 2022 that partially paralyzed another man.

Echols, 25, a sixth-round draft pick out of Kentucky, was admitted into the pretrial intervention (PTI) program for three years by state Superior Court Judge Noah Franzblau, in Morris County, during a tense Feb. 28 hearing that, in a rare move, allowed the injured driver to speak to the April 22, 2022 two-vehicle crash that he called a "near-fatal real life nightmare."

Florham Park Police in January charged Echols with the fourth-degree crime and issued him several motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, improper passing and failure to wear a seatbelt, according to police records obtained by the Daily Record.

Crash details revealed

Officers responded to the crash around 2 p.m. on the Columbia Turnpike, not far from the Morristown Airport and just two miles from the Jets' training facility.

A black 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat was found disabled on the eastbound lanes of the turnpike and a black 2018 BMW X5 was located on its roof in a marsh roughly 50 feet from the roadway, according to court records.

Echols, who was driving alone, was found uninjured standing near a guardrail. The driver of the BMW, identified as Stephen Gilberg in court, was tangled in his seatbelt inside his vehicle facedown and complained of injuries, police said. He was rushed to Morristown Medical Center with "severe injuries" including a spinal cord injury that resulted in no feeling or movement in both hands and his right leg that required spinal surgery, police said. He also suffered broken ribs.

Multiple witnesses observed Echols' sedan travel at a high rate of speed prior to the crash and police say an investigation found Echols was traveling at a speed of 84 mph — over the 50 mph speed limit — five seconds before impact, records show.

The 2021 Hellcat engine is manufactured with up to 797 horsepower and a top speed of 196 mph, hitting 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to automotive magazine Car & Driver. The Redeye version of the Hellcat is the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world.

Echols briefly braked before almost fully depressing the accelerator just prior to the crash, records state.

The roadway was shut down for roughly three hours and Florham Park Police had warned commuters of the delays on the turnpike as a result of the crash in a Facebook post.

Pretrial intervention program

Echols, who lives in an upscale apartment complex in Florham Park near the Jets' practice field, did not admit guilt. Under the supervision of a probation officer, he will over the course of the 36-month program undergo various programs for rehabilitation and will be monitored by the courts. Once completed, the charge and motor vehicle summonses will be dismissed, although his arrest is still part of his record.

Under the agreement, Echols will have to pay the injured driver $54,460 in restitution at a rate of $1,200 a month. His driver's license will be suspended for six months.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office defended their decision to allow the pro football player into the diversionary program, stating that it is only offered to first-time offenders based on a number of statutory guidelines. A fourth-degree crime under state law carries a presumption that a person will not serve time in jail if they have no prior criminal history, which Echols does not.

"The [Morris County Prosecutor's Office] would like to note that appropriate charges were levied in this case at the conclusion of the investigation," office spokesperson Meghan Knab said in a statement.

Echols' attorney Mitch Schuster said in a statement to the Daily Record that his client has not admitted any wrongdoing and voluntarily entered the pretrial intervention program, which is expected to result in the dismissal of the charge against him.

"Mr. Echols is not alleged to have been driving under the influence of any substances and there are no claims that Mr. Echols intended to hurt anyone," he said. "Mr. Echols is deeply saddened that Mr. Gilberg suffered injuries as a result of the accident and wishes Mr. Gilberg a full and speedy recovery."

Crash victim speaks

Gilberg, who offered tense and at times agitated words in court in February, said the crash and its devastating repercussions both physically and mentally have changed his and his family's lives forever and will "forever haunt me."

"While I've made certain strides physically, such as learning to walk again albeit not in the same way I used to, it's the nerve damage and the pain you don't see," said Gilberg during the Feb. 28 hearing. "The physical things I will never be able to do and the psychological trauma I am living with every single day that will continue to impact the rest of my life."

Gilberg spoke of the crash in vivid detail, recalling how his BMW was hit from the side at "such incomprehensible speed and with such force that you are essentially launched like an airplane." He said he was told the event data extracted from Echols' car showed the athlete was "traveling at speeds of 111 mph," however Echols' attorney has disputed that, stating it was "apparently based on Mr. Gilberg's own interpretation of complex raw data from a vehicle crash reporter."

"The prosecution never asserted that Mr. Echols was traveling at such a high rate of speed and to our knowledge no expert had concluded that Mr. Echols was traveling at the speed referenced by Mr. Gilberg," Schuster said.

"I find it impossible to contemplate or understand any justification Mr. Echols could have for recklessly driving 111 mph, particularly at a time of day when our roads are very busy with daily commuters and school buses filled with children," Gilberg said. "Obviously this type of driving should never be permissible on our roadways and when it does, the repercussions should be severe enough to ensure it never ever happens again."

His BMW lay crushed in a marsh and first responders told his wife that had he landed in deeper water, just two feet over, he likely would have drowned because he could not move due to his paralysis, he said.

Gilberg underwent two major spinal cord surgeries and rehabilitation, and despite medical bills reaching close to $1 million, doctors say he may never completely recover.

Gilberg asked the judge to bar Echols from being eligible for early release from the diversionary program, which can be requested at any time if he fulfills his obligations, undergo community service and suspend his driver's license for two years. The judge, however, said he could not step outside the negotiated plea agreement but assured Gilberg that if Echols' requests early termination from the program, he will take the application "quite seriously."

Strong rookie season

Echols, who created a media frenzy last year when he picked off a pass from Tom Brady and then asked the quarterback to sign the football, played a significant role in his rookie season and started in all 14 games he played with 63 total tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defended and one touchdown.

Echols showed promise going into his second-season, but he saw a diminished role on the team, contributing just eight total tackles in 13 games. A quad injury sidelined him in December 2021 and he missed the team's last three games.

The New York Jets' communications team did not respond to several requests for comment.

Lori Comstock can be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: NY Jets football player charged in NJ crash enrolls in PTI program