N.J. boy, 15, charged in fatal ATV crash

A 15-year-old Winslow boy has been charged in an April ATV crash that killed a 13-year-old girl on the seat behind him.

The boy, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, was charged with vehicular homicide in the death of Dominique Denzii of Sicklerville.

He also was charged with aggravated assault in connection with injuries to Amber Napoli, 15, of Berlin.

The boy was giving Denzii and Napoli a ride on the ATV about 10:30 p.m. April 4 on Myers Road, which does not allow ATV traffic, said Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. When he passed a parked police cruiser, the boy, who was not insured, sped away because he was afraid the car would chase him, police said. He was driving with his headlights off.

He ran a red light at Route 73, where a Nissan Altima hit the ATV while it tried to cross four lanes, police said.

The crash killed Denzii, and the two other teenagers were taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

None of the three was wearing a helmet, Laughlin said, and the ATV was not designed to carry that many people.

In addition to the criminal charges, the boy was issued summonses for operating the ATV without insurance, operating it on a public street, reckless driving, failure to observe a traffic signal, and operating without a helmet.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to four years in a state juvenile detention facility.

The accident was the second fatal ATV crash in Winslow in eight months. In July 2007, a train hit 15-year-old Gabrielle Campione of Hammonton, Atlantic County, as she tried to push an ATV off the tracks. She had been riding where ATV riding was prohibited, authorities said.