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Juvenile Charged in Crash That Killed Long Valley Teen Josephine Irwin

Prosecutor's Office said car was going 90 miles per hour.

A 17-year old boy from Lopatcong Township has been charged with causing the that killed Long Valley resident Josephine Irwin and Hackettstown resident Sammie Reisberg, according to a statement by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office.

The boy was driving twice the speed limit–90 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone–when he lost control of the 2003 Cheverolet Cavalier, the statement said.

The car then slammed into a tree on Rockport Road. Irwin was found in the front passenger seat and Reisberg was thrown 12 to 15 feet from the vehicle, the statement said.

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"It's still under investigation," Warren County Prosecutor Thomas Ferguson said, "but it looks like the crash was caused by the speed, not drinking or drugs."

The juvenile was charged Tuesday, Nov. 30 with two second-degree counts of death by automobile and one second-degree count of knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, the report said.

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Ferguson said the second teen who fled after the crash would not be charged with knowingly leaving the scene since he was not the driver.

A second-degree offense in juvenile matters carries a maximum penalty of three years in the juvenile justice system, according to the prosecutor's office.

The juvenile was sent to the Morristown Detention Center where he is being held. Every 10 days the juvenile will have a detention review before a judge to see if he is eligible for discharge.


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