Charges filed in accident that killed Washington Township teen

The driver and a front-seat passenger who survived a two-vehicle crash last month that killed their friend, Washington Township High School senior Nicole Kellenyi, are being charged with possession of an open, unsealed alcoholic beverage container and other motor vehicle offenses, township police said Tuesday.

Toxicology tests reveal that neither Alexandria Giantonnio, 18, the driver of the 1998 Saturn carrying Kellenyi, nor the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision at the intersection of Altair Drive and Pitman Downer Road on April 14, authorities said.

Giantonnio, of Sewell, also was charged with failure to stop or yield right of way before entering a stop or yield intersection, along with careless driving, police said. Taylor Petner, 18, who was ejected, also was issued a motor vehicle summons for failure to wear a seat belt, authorities said.

Kellenyi, 18, of Sewell, was bound for Rider University. After the accident, her friends circulated a petition on Facebook asking to have a traffic signal installed at the intersection. — Darran Simon