FRANKLIN BOROUGH, N.J. (Sussex County) — A Sussex man has been charged with vehicular homicide following an investigation into a June crash involving a dump truck that killed one person and seriously injured two others in Franklin Borough, according to police.
Sebastian Zapata, 36, was arrested Sept. 21 following an investigation by the Franklin Borough Detective Bureau into the June 18 crash at Route 23 and Mabie Street.
Police said officers initially responded to a multi-vehicle crash involving a commercial dump truck on the morning of June 18.
According to police, the dump truck driven by Zapata struck a vehicle driven by Katherine VanAllen and then struck another vehicle at the intersection.
VanAllen died as a result of the crash, police said. A juvenile passenger in VanAllen’s vehicle and the driver of a third vehicle traveling south on Route 23 were seriously injured.
The Franklin Borough Detective Bureau investigated the crash with assistance from the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit and the New Jersey State Police Fatal Crash and Commercial Motor Vehicle units.
Following the investigation, Zapata was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of fourth-degree assault by auto.
Zapata was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending an appearance in Sussex County Superior Court under New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act.
