Man Was High In Crash That Killed Rutgers Student, Police Say

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced Friday afternoon that a man from Somerset has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly driving high and causing the death of a 19-year old Colts Neck teen, a sophomore at Rutgers University.

David Stewart, 36, of Somerset, was indicted for vehicular homicide in the third degree; he was also indicted for driving with a suspended license.

The crash happened September 28, 2018 in downtown New Brunswick: Stewart, who New Brunswick police say was under the influence of marijuana at the time, was driving a 2011 Nissan Sentra west on George Street near Albany and Somerset streets. The Rutgers student lost his footing and stumbled onto the street, where he was struck and killed by the vehicle, police said.

Cory Aufiero was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries. Aufiero had just graduated from Colts Neck High School in 2017, where he was on the varsity golf team. He was studying to be a business major at Rutgers.

At the scene of the crash, New Brunswick police issued two motor vehicle summonses to Stewart: One for driving while under the influence of marijuana and the second for driving with a suspended New Jersey license.

The Middlesex County prosecutor refused to divulge the evidence they had to support the marijuana charge, saying it was part of the case.

Colts Neck was stunned and deeply saddened when news of the local teen's death spread through the community this past fall.

"It's unbelievable. He was a great kid," said Bob Gartner, the director of golf instruction at the Colts Neck Golf Club. Gartner coached Aufiero in golf for years, and for the past three summers, Aufiero worked as a counselor at their golf summer camp.

"All the other kids loved him," he said. "At the summer camp, the kids got to pick which counselor they wanted, and Cory was always the first one the kids requested. Every week the kids would say, 'We want Cory, we want Cory!' He was helpful; he was funny; he had a great sense of humor. He was that kind of a kid."

Aufiero competed on the varsity boys' golf team during his years at Colts Neck, where he was a standout. He was named a top returner for the 2017 season. He loved the sport, his family wrote in his obituary, and his favorite golfer was Jordan Spieth.

The varsity golf coach at Colts Neck High School, Bryan Parks, said he was devastated by the news.

"As a friend, teammate, or student, Cory was one of the most loyal kids you would ever meet," said Coach Parks. "He had an infectious personality that just lit up a room. I don't think he ever had a bad day, and if he did, he never would show it ... The kid wouldn't think twice about giving you the shirt off his back. He had a tremendous impact on the Colts Neck community, and his loss will be felt for a long time."

Aufiero was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Rutgers.

Past coverage of Aufiero's death: Colts Neck Mourns Cory Aufiero, 19, Killed By Car

Rutgers Student From Colts Neck Hit, Killed By Car: Prosecutor

Photo of Cory Aufiero used with permission from Holmdel Funeral Home.