By: Richard L. Smith
A Chatham Township man has been sentenced for his role in a fatal pedestrian crash that claimed the life of a 54-year-old victim in Chatham Borough earlier this year.
Matthew Vining, 29, was sentenced on June 18 after previously pleading guilty to third-degree reckless vehicular homicide and a traffic violation for failure to maintain a lane.
The charges stem from a collision that occurred at approximately 12:07 p.m. on January 2, 2026, on Fairmount Avenue in Chatham Borough.
Investigators determined that Vining was operating a Ford F-150 southbound on the shoulder of the roadway when the vehicle struck a pedestrian.
The 54-year-old victim was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
Judge Stephen J. Taylor sentenced Vining to three years of probation.
As part of the sentence, Vining must serve 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility, complete 80 hours of community service, and surrender his driver’s license for six months upon his release from jail.
According to a statement released by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the case was investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Chatham Borough Police Department.