New Jersey man sentenced in drunk driving crash that killed 9-year-old daughter
MOUNT LAUREL - A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison nearly a year after a drunk driving crash killed his 9-year-old daughter.
Marcelo Rizzo, 38, plead guilty in August to one count of vehicular homicide, one count of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of driving while intoxicated.
Investigators say on Nov. 28 Rizzo was impaired with his two daughters in the car when he crashed into another vehicle and veered off the road on I-295 in Burlington County.
During the crash, Rizzo's 9-year-old daughter was fatally thrown from the car into a wooded area. Rizzo and his other daughter sustained injuries.
Toxicology tests concluded that Rizzo had a blood alcohol content of 0.16.
“This tragedy was completely preventable, and therefore, inexcusable,” Prosecutor Scott Coffina said.
“Between ridesharing services, traditional taxis, designated drivers, or, most elementally, refraining from drinking before having to drive somewhere, the defendant had many options to get his family home safely. Instead, he chose to get behind the wheel and as a result, one of his children was killed.”