Driver Sentenced In Crash That Killed Teen, Seriously Injured Another

BEL AIR, MD — The man who rear-ended a vehicle driven by a teen that was then shoved into the path of a school bus - leading to the death of the teen's passenger - has been convicted in the case.

On Friday, prosecutors announced that the driver, John Anthony Gaeta, has been convicted of criminally negligent manslaughter following a bench trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on Sept, 18, 17-year-old Zachary Griffin was lawfully stopped on northbound Route 543, waiting to turn left onto Crescent Knoll Drive. Griffin’s passenger was 16-year-old Blake Elliott. Gaeta was driving northbound on 543 and failed to avoid crashing into Griffin’s vehicle, pushing it into the Route 543 southbound lane where it was then hit by a school bus.

Both Griffin and Elliott were trapped inside the vehicle. Griffin was extricated first and flown by the Maryland State Police’s Aviation Command unit to Shock Trauma. Griffin spent 11 days in Shock Trauma with serious injuries.

Elliott was extricated later and taken by ambulance to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

From the on scene investigation, it was determined that there was no pre-impact braking by Gaeta’s vehicle. Search warrants were obtained for his vehicle’s airbag control module and cellular phone. Data from the Gaeta’s vehicle confirmed that in the 5 seconds before collision, he did not use his brakes or steer his vehicle to avoid the collision. Time distance calculations showed that he drove 371 feet during those 5 seconds and only decreased from 53 mph to 47 mph during that time, court documents showed.

Data logs from his cell phone proved that Gaeta immediately began using his phone after leaving work that afternoon at the Arena Club, using three applications – Her A.I., Instagram and Chess.com – for the entire drive until 38 seconds before collision when the last app closed. Additionally, his phone was determined to be unlocked and with the screen illuminated at the time of collision, prosecutors stated.

Sentencing has been set for Aug. 17 where Gaeta faces a maximum penalty of three years of incarceration and/or a $5,000 fine.

“Nothing can ever bring Blake Elliott back to her family, friends, or our community. The injuries that she and Zachary Griffin sustained as a result of this defendant’s choices on September 18, 2025, were shocking and horrific. The defendant’s criminal conduct took Blake’s life and forever changed Zach’s life, so we are proud that some justice was received for them today, despite the challenges that this case presented," said State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey.

"These cases can be extremely challenging to prosecute, and the current laws simply do not provide sufficient sanctions and are frankly not enough. In addition, the standards are entirely too lenient for what defines a felony versus a misdemeanor. It is my hope that at some point in the future, Blake’s story will assist in changing our laws for the better to hold offenders more accountable when a life is taken in this way.

"Distracted driving, especially with the continuing evolution of technology in our society, is incredibly dangerous. When the evidence of an investigation of a collision demonstrates the significant amount of negligence and distraction in which this defendant engaged and a life is taken, those offenders will be held accountable in Harford County because that is a choice to put our community at risk, and it will not be tolerated.”

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