Belleville Teen Found Liable, Crash Killed Aspiring American Idol Singer On I-95

An 18-year-old Belleville woman has been found liable for a crash on I-95 that killed an aspiring 20-year-old singer returning from a successful audition on American Idol.

The crash – which also injured passengers from Bloomfield, Montclair and East Orange - took place on I-95 south of the Yardley-Newtown Road exit in Pennsylvania around 7 p.m. on Aug. 2.

It claimed the life of Natasha Bellott, 20, of Bloomfield, an aspiring singer who had just returned from a audition for American Idol in Philadelphia.

• See related article: Aspiring Singer Dies Right After Successful ‘American Idol’ Audition

Pennsylvania State Police released the following statement about the incident at the time:

“The crash allegedly occurred as [the driver] lost control of [the silver 2003 Jeep Liberty] after passing another vehicle, which was traveling north in the right lane, on the shoulder at a high rate of speed ... [The Jeep] traveled from the right northbound shoulder, across both northbound lanes and into the center grass median, where it rolled over several times. It was later determined that three of the six occupants had been ejected from the vehicle.”

The driver of the Jeep, LeAnn Manochio, was 17-years-old at the time of the tragic incident and was tried as a minor.

She was charged with homicide by vehicle and three counts of aggravated assault by vehicle.

On Feb. 17, the Bucks County Assistant District Attorney stated that Manochio had been an adjudicated delinquent on all the charges against her in juvenile court.

“It’s equal to being found guilty of all charges,” he told the Belleville Times.

Manochio previously offered a statement about the crash to The Belleville Times:

“It was an accident. I was not driving recklessly. My heart goes out to the family and friends, and I love Natasha as well.”