Union Man Indicted In DWI Fatal Crash Of Hillside Officer

UNION, NJ — A Union Township man has been indicted in connection with the fatal crash on Route 1 that killed an off-duty Hillside police officer in October, acting Union County Prosecutor Jennifer Davenport announced Wednesday.

Ricardo Dos-Santos, 29, of Union Township was indicted on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and first-degree vehicular homicide in connection with the death of 30-year-old Officer Giovanni Esposito.

The crash occurred around 2:15 a.m. where a 2017 Acura RDX was driving north on Route 1 when it collided with 2007 International tractor-trailer cab, who was driving north in the center lane at the intersection of Pleasant Street, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Armando Suarez, who is prosecuting the case.

The Acura overturned following the collision, and both occupants were seriously injured. Both Dos-Santos and Esposito were treated on scene by Linden Fire Department personnel and transported to Newark University Hospital in serious condition, Suarez said.

Esposito was later pronounced dead and identified by Hillside officials as an off-duty Hillside Police Officer.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.

Dos-Santo's blood-alcohol level was nearly triple the legal limit of 0.08 when he collided with the rear portion of a commercial truck that had been stopped at a red light, following a joint investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Linden Police Department Traffic Bureau.

An investigation found that Dos-Santo's SUV was traveling at an estimated 90 mph at the time of impact, according to the report.

Dos-Santos was arrested without incident and criminally charged in January. He was also cited for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, failure to observe a traffic signal, and failure to wear a seat belt.

Dos-Santos faces 10 to 30 years in state prison on the aggravated manslaughter charges and 10 to 20 years on the first-degree vehicular homicide charge.

• See Related: Details Released In Fatal Rt. 1 Crash Of Hillside Police Officer
• Related: 'God Bless His Soul': Community Mourns Loss Of Hillside Officer
• Related: Arrangements Set For Hillside Officer Killed In Fatal Rt. 1 Crash

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