Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri and Robbinsville Chief of Police Christopher Nitti announced today that a man is in custody for the fatal multi-vehicle accident that occurred in Robbinsville on June 24, 2019. Robert E. Torres, 24, a resident of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested yesterday in Philadelphia by members of the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Fugitive Task Force.
According to police, Torres is charged with one count of second-degree vehicular homicide, one count of third- degree operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license while involved in an accident resulting in death of another, one count of fourth-degree operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license while involved in an accident resulting in serious bodily injury of another, five counts of fourth-degree assault by auto causing serious bodily injury, and two counts of assault by auto causing bodily injury, a disorderly persons offense.
Torres is being held pending extradition to New Jersey.
According to police, on June 24, around 6:30 p.m., a white GMC Savana work van driven by Torres was traveling south on Route 130 and caused a Pontiac Trans Am to cross the median in the area of Woodside Road, where it collided with two vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. Torres fled the scene. The van was located the following morning in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
Police say, the driver of the Trans Am, Vincent Zitani, 23, of Yardville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
All seven occupants of the remaining vehicles were hospitalized. They have since been released from the hospital.
The case remains under investigation by the Robbinsville Township Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Serious Collision Response Team. Anyone with information is asked to contact Robbinsville Detective Sergeant Adrian Markowski at (609) 259-3900, or Prosecutor’s Detective Salvatore Vaccaro at (609) 273-7453.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.