Cinnaminson Man Sentenced In Accident That Killed Teen: Cops

CINNAMINSON, NJ — A Cinnaminson man has been sentenced to 14 years in New Jersey state prison after admitting that he caused an accident that killed a 15-year-old girl in Cinnaminson last year, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

Isaiah Buchanan, 19, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the accident that killed 15-year-old Kassidy Bush on Nov. 15, 2017. The car was reportedly stolen out of Cinnaminson that day.

When police attempted to pull the car over, the driver refused to stop and a chase ensued, police said. During the chase, the car rear-ended a tractor trailer while speeding on Route 130 in Cinnaminson at about 10:30 a.m., according to Coffina. Bush, who was a student at Palmyra High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Buchanan was admitted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and released a few days later. The driver of the tractor trailer wasn't injured. Buchanan was using cocaine, marijuana and Xanax prior to the collision, according to toxicology tests conducted on blood drawn from him.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office successfully argued that he be waived up from juvenile court and tried as an adult.

“There are no words available, nor a fitting resolution to this case, that can alleviate the immensity of the heartbreak Kassidy’s loss has so obviously caused for her parents, brother and friends,” Coffina said. “We hope that Kassidy’s family can experience some comfort and healing now that this case has concluded and a substantial sentence has been imposed upon the person responsible for her tragic and senseless death.”

Buchanan was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Courtney J. O’Brien, supervisor of the BCPO
Family Unit. The investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the
Evesham Township Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Melvin
Rogers.

See related: Charges Filed In Death Of Teen Killed In Cinnaminson Accident

The attached image of Isaiah Buchanan was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.