NJ Crash That Killed Baltimore Couple Leads To DWI Charge For Police Officer: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD, NJ — A New Jersey police officer who was on his way to work before an October crash that killed a Baltimore couple has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide after he was found to be intoxicated, authorities said Friday.

Angel L. Acevedo Jr., 40, and his wife, Daniela Correia Salles, 35, of Baltimore, were killed Oct. 9, 2021. Their 2020 Toyota Corolla was hit by a 2018 GMC Canyon pickup truck driven by John P. McClave III, 34, of Toms River, New Jersey, said Lori Linskey, acting Monmouth County prosecutor.

McClave, a police officer in Union County, was on his way to work when his pickup drifted off the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County shortly before 7:30 p.m. Investigators determined McClave’s truck did not change direction or slow down significantly after it left the Parkway lanes, and went airborne when it hit an embankment before hitting the couple's car, Linskey said.

Acevedo and Correia Salles suffered multiple severe injuries and were both pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. McClave suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Investigators determined McClave was driving recklessly while under the influence of intoxicating substances at the time of the collision, authorities said. He also was issued summonses for reckless driving, failure to maintain lanes, failure to wear a seatbelt, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, Linskey said.

The Prosecutor’s Office is filing a motion to have McClave detained pending the resolution of this case, Linskey said.

"This officer’s actions on the night of the collision far crossed the line separating passive negligence from active criminality, and as a result, a married couple have lost their lives," she said. "We hope today’s announcement brings their loved ones some semblance of solace in knowing that the first steps have been taken towards achieving justice."

If convicted, McClave faces up to 10 years in state prison, with 85 percent of the term to be served before the possibility of parole for each count under the New Jersey's No Early Release Act.