Marlboro Man, 25, Dies In Crash During Police Pursuit In Howell: Authorities

HOWELL, NJ — The death of a Marlboro Township man in a crash early Sunday morning after he sped away from an attempted motor vehicle stop is under investigation by the Monmouth County prosecutor's office, according to a news release from the Howell Township Police Department.

Brian Fani, 25, of Marlboro, died in the crash that happened shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, Howell police said. The release said an autopsy showed Fani died of blunt force trauma; toxicology results are still pending and will take several weeks, it said.

Howell police said Sgt. Rich Conte of the midnight patrol squad was on Tinton Falls Road when he identified an approaching vehicle that was traveling 56 mph in a zone with a posted speed limit of 25 mph, the release said.

As Conte turned his patrol vehicle around to pull the car over, the driver, Fani, who was driving a 2009 Subaru Legacy, accelerated onto Asbury Avenue, the release said. As Conte tried to catch up to the car, Fani began passing other motorists in "no passing" zones and around curves in the road, the release said. Conte activated his emergency lights and sirens to make Fani aware of the police presence in an attempt to get him to stop, the release said.

But Fani ignored the lights and sirens and sped onto Southard Avenue, accelerating to more than 100 mph, the release said, and ignored two red traffic signals in the process. Conte was not able to identify the license plate or close the distance on the vehicle, police said.

Due to the speed, Fani could not negotiate the curve in Southard Road near the Howell Golf Course and lost control, the release said. The car left the road, sideswiped a utility pole and struck a wooden fence and tree, police said.

Conte was not behind the car when the crash occurred but pulled up shortly thereafter, police said. Conte immediately attempted first aid but it was apparent that Fani had died, police said.

The total length of time from Conte’s initial observation of the speeding violation to his arrival at the crash was approximately 2 minutes, 42 seconds with a distance of approximately 3.3 miles, police said.

The incident remains under investigation, Howell police said.

"As per policy, whenever there is a death or serious bodily injury during a pursuit and/or use of force, the county prosecutor’s office is involved. This is to ensure an impartial review and determination of the facts. After their review is completed, the Chief of Police and internal affairs unit of the Howell Police Department will conduct a separate investigation to ensure all department policies were followed. Sergeant Conte will remain on full-duty without any restrictions," the news release said.

“Regardless of the circumstances, a young man lost his life," Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick Jr. said. "We remind everyone the consequences of actions. Legal problems can be resolved. A life cannot be replaced. Sadly, a family has now been forever affected. The Howell Police Department extends our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Fani.”

Anyone who has additional information about the case is asked to call Detective Cruz from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Responsibilities Unit at 732-618-7369, or Howell Police Capt. Rizzo at 732-938-4575, ext. 2237 or trizzo@howellpolice.org.

Image via Shutterstock