Burlington City man charged in connection with fatal crash

BURLINGTON, N.J. (WTXF) - Police say a man whose passenger died after the car he was driving went into the Delaware River has been charged in connection with her death.

Burlington City Police got the call a little before 1 p.m. Sunday, January 14, to respond to the Delaware River near Wood Street because of a reported car into the river.

Upon arrival, police discovered the front end of the vehicle had broken through the ice. Police say when they arrived the driver was not in the vicinity but a female passenger, 23-year-old Stephanie White, was in the front seat and was submerged in the water.

Fire departments from Burlington City, Burlington Township and Croyden, Pa. all responded to the scene as well as Endeavor Emergency. They were able to extricate the woman from the vehicle.

The woman was transported to Lourdes Medical Center in Willingboro, New Jersey, where she was pronounced dead.

A preliminary investigation by local law enforcement revealed the driver of the vehicle was speeding on Riverbank Road. According to officials, the car struck a parked vehicle, vaulted over the river wall and wound up in the river.

Officials say the driver left the scene, but was picked up by local police.

According to authorities, 24-year-old Jacob T. Garrett was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Accident (Second Degree), Causing Death while Driving with Suspended License (Third Degree) and Endangering an Injured Victim (Third Degree).

Police say witnesses to the crash who rushed over to the scene indicated Garrett was already out of the vehicle by the time they arrived. "Help my girlfriend," witnesses reported Garrett as telling them before he fled, according to investigators.

The investigation is ongoing.