Teen, Mom Indicted In Fatal Salem County Crash: Report

SALEM COUNTY, NJ — A 17-year-old boy and his mother were indicted by a grand jury last week in connection with a 2022 car crash that claimed the life of an Arthur P. Schalick High School student, according to a report.

Dane T. Pierce did not have a driver's license and was driving more than 100 mph on May 3, 2022, when his vehicle went off the road, became airborne, and hit a tree, according to police and a new report by NJ Advance Media.

The crash killed Pierce's passenger, 15-year-old Evan D'Anjou of Pittsgrove.

In June, Pierce was charged as an adult with aggravated manslaughter and reckless death by auto while driving without a license and under the influence of marijuana, NJ.com reported. Last week, a grand jury indicted him on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, according to the report.

Tisha M. Gargon, 52, of Pittsgrove, was accused of lending the car to Pierce. Prosecutors last year charged her with second-and third-degree child endangerment, but the charges were dismissed in April.

The grand jury indicted her last week on a new second-degree charge of violation of public health and safety law resulting in death, NJ.com reported.

The one-car crash happened near the intersection of County Route 553/Buck Road and McKishen Road, according to New Jersey State Police.

State police said Pierce did not stop at the intersection's stop sign. The car went off the road, became airborne, and crashed into a tree at Deer Pen Park around 6:15 a.m.

Pierce was seriously injured in the crash, according to previous reports. D'Anjou was the only other person in the car, police said.

Following his death, D'Anjou's family remembered him as an engaging and warm person who made friends young and old and cared deeply for people.

"His smile and presence filled the room," his obituary read. "People gravitated toward Evan and connected with his passion for life and his mischievous sense of humor."