Arrest In Hit-Run That Killed Horse, Injured Girl In South Jersey

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Salem County man has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Gloucester County that injured a teenage girl on horseback and killed her horse, police said Thursday.

Joseph Devitis, 51, has been charged with assault by auto, endangering an injured victim, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash with serious injury and third-degree animal cruelty, Franklin Township police said. He also was charged with multiple motor vehicle offenses, police said.

Police said Devitis gave a written statement Wednesday admitting he was the driver in the Sept. 13 crash on Monroeville Road, after a search of a Buck Road property in Salem County turned up the pickup truck, hidden in the woods, police said.

The crash happened shortly before 8 p.m. on the 1500 block of Monroeville Road, Franklin police said. The 14-year-old girl from Sicklerville and a 21-year-old Camden man were riding horses when the girl and her horse, named Predator, were hit by an older model light-colored pickup truck.

Predator died at the scene, the girl was taken to Cooper University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said at the time. The man and his horse were not hurt, they said.

The pickup truck was last seen headed toward Buck Road, police said.

The investigation led police to a home on the 100 block of Buck Road in Salem County, where a search on Tuesday led to the discovery of the pickup truck hidden in the woods, police said.

It had heavy damage to the passenger side and detectives found pieces of Predator's hair on the outside of the truck, police said.

New Jersey's third-degree animal cruelty statute provides for up to 18 months in prison for a negligent or careless action that kills an animal.

Franklin Township Detectives Alex Fragoso and Allison Schempp are investigating.