SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — The family of a 19-year-old woman who was killed in a car crash involving an on-duty police officer two years ago has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him and the police department.
The suit comes months after a grand jury decided to exonerate Sergeant William Grissom of the Franklin Police Department, claiming his role in the car crash that killed Deanna D’Arco, of Vernon, was not criminal in nature.
Related: Cop Involved In Crash That Killed NJ Teen Faces Grand Jury
The suit cites “abnormal” traffic patterns due to the Memorial Day Parade that had taken place the day of the fatal crash.
It adds that Grissom, who was not responding to an emergency situation and did not have his police car’s siren or lights activated, “should have known” the traffic changes would affect how motorists behaved.
It also accuses Grissom of driving at “an excessive and unsafe speed for the roadway, traffic, and transitional conditions then existing.”
Additionally, the suit says Grissom “failed to appropriately reduce speed approaching known commercial ingress and egress conflict points.”
Background
The crash took place on May 27, 2024, around 10:30 a.m. in Franklin Borough. According to the investigation, Grissom was on duty in his police car, headed south on Route 23 at around 40 mph, when he crashed into a black Honda Prelude, in which D’Arco was riding as a front-seat passenger.
According to the investigation, the crash happened when the Honda “emerged from behind vehicles that were in traffic on the northbound side of the roadway, crossed the double yellow line on Route 23, and attempted to head north in the southbound lane.”
As a result, Grissom’s car smashed into the passenger side of the Honda, where D’Arco was sitting.
After calling for backup, Grissom got out of his car and helped remove the door of the smashed-in Honda. He then directed traffic while EMS personnel arrived.
D’Arco was rushed to the Morristown Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead two days after the crash.
The driver of the Honda and Grissom were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). Evidence collected during the course of the investigation, including dispatch and 911 audio, civilian and police interviews, photographs, crash investigation reports, data from the police car’s data event recorder, toxicology results for both drivers, and autopsy results from the medical examiner, was presented to a grand jury in September 2025.
Also presented to the grand jury was dashcam and surveillance footage of the crash, which can be seen here. (Editor’s Note: this footage contains explicit language and imagery that some readers may find disturbing.)
The footage shows the Honda crossing over the double-yellow line and attempting to turn right into oncoming traffic just before Grissom’s car slams into it.
After reviewing the evidence, the jury decided on Sept. 29, 2025, that no criminal charges should be filed against Grissom.
D’Arco suit highlights eight claims, including wrongful death and negligence on both Grissom, Franklin Borough, and its police department.
Patch has reached out to the Franklin Police Department for comment, and has not heard back at this time.
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