Driver Indicted In 100-MPH Rear-End Crash That Killed Howell Man

HOWELL, NJ — A North Jersey man indicted in a 2018 crash that killed a Howell Township man was driving 100 mph at the time of the crash, according to Burlington County authorities.

William Dunbar, 26, was indicted by a Burlington County grand jury on Tuesday on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide.

Dunbar was driving north on Route 73 about 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 19 when his vehicle rear-ended one driven by Christopher Pappas, 34, of Howell. The impact caused Pappas's car to flip several times and hit a utility pole before coming to rest, Mount Laurel police said.

Pappas died at the scene. His obituary notes he was a lifelong Howell resident who graduated from Monmouth University with a degree in history and political science, was active with Howell Township's recreation department and worked in component hardware sales. He was the son of Frances Pappas of Howell and William and Kathy Pappas of Flemington. Christopher Pappas also was survived by extended family.

The investigation found Dunbar had been driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph at the time of the crash, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Dunbar was charged in the crash in November after the prosecutor's office received results of toxicology tests performed on Dunbar's blood drawn after the crash.

Authorities have not released the details of those toxicology results.

Assistant Prosecutor Thaddeus Drummond, supervisor of the BCPO Collision and Accident Reconstruction Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by the Mount Laurel Police Department, with assistance from the Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police. The lead investigator was Mount Laurel Police Sgt. Nicholas DiGirolamo.

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