No Prison For Wrong-Way Driver Who Killed NJ Woman

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Texas man has avoided prison time after admitting to his role in a Morris County crash that left a woman dead, officials said.

Last week, Cody Bonds, 39, of Crandall, Texas, was sentenced in Morris County Court seven months after a head-on crash killed a 22-year-old woman in Mount Olive.

On the afternoon of Feb. 3, police were called to Route 206 in the Flanders section of town on reports of a car accident.

Officials discovered that a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2024 Toyota Corolla had collided head-on, sending both drivers to the hospital with serious injuries.

The driver of the Corolla, Jamie Lynn Augenbaugh, 22, of Hopatcong, was pronounced dead five days later.

Bonds, who was behind the wheel of the Tahoe, survived his injuries and was charged with reckless vehicular manslaughter three weeks later.

An investigation revealed that Bonds had been headed north on Route 206 when he crossed the double yellow centerline into the southbound lanes, colliding with Augenbaugh's Corolla head-on.

In June, Bonds pleaded guilty to the reckless vehicular manslaughter charge, as well as a traffic violation for failure to maintain lane.

On Friday, Bonds was sentenced to five years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, and a driver’s license suspension of five years. He was also given credit for 17 days served in jail.