Woodbridge Man Will Not Face Criminal Charges for Turnpike Crash That Killed 2

Woodbridge, NJ - A Woodbridge man will not face criminal charges stemming from a Nov. 9, 2015 fatal car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that took the life of a rock-and-roll band member from Brick and his friend who was originally from Point Pleasant Beach, but lived in Summit.

Nishank Shaw, 24, of Woodbridge, has been charged with a summons for careless driving, but will not face further charges, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.

Chris Calderone and Rob Critelli were killed in the crash when their Volkswagen Passat was rear-ended by a Toyota Avalon driven by Shaw. The Passat was stopped behind a Toyota Sienna that had stopped in the left lane of the Turnpike, which was closed at the time. The impact of the crash drove the Passat into the Sienna, and caused the Passat to burst into flames, killing the two close friends, State Police said. Critelli and Calderone were on their way to a concert in Delaware.

Calderone, a Brick Township resident, was 20 years old. Critelli, who lived in Summit but was a graduate of Point Pleasant Beach, was 21. As Patch has reported, Calderone was a member of the band Fated Endeavor, which formed in March and had released its first album, Chasing Sunlight, in July.

The deaths of the two men left a huge hole in the band's heart.

“They had similar personalities,” said Eva Motto, who was one of a group of about 10 friends that included both Calderone and Critelli Rob that spent the summer hanging out.

“Rob is one of those people that when he comes into your life, he changes you from the second you meet him,” said Caitie Sherbo.

“(Chris) was an easy person to be around and easy person to want in your life," Motto said.

All photos provided by Eva Motto