Tabernacle man pleads guilty in road death

A Tabernacle man who prosecutors say was drunk in May when the car he was driving struck and killed a 19-year-old motorist has pleaded guilty, officials said yesterday.

Thomas Thorn Jr., 22, will be sentenced to eight years in state prison after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office. He will serve a concurrent four-year sentence for driving with a suspended license and causing an accident resulting in death.

At 1:15 a.m. on May 24, Thorn was traveling west on Route 70 in Evesham when he ran a red light and hit the vehicle driven by Shawn English, who was headed north on Maple Avenue.

Toxicology results showed Thorn had a blood-alcohol level of 0.179 percent, more than twice the legal definition of drunken driving. He could face additional penalties for driving under the influence, authorities said. - Matthew Spolar