A Chatham Township man who admitted driving on the shoulder before striking and killing a pedestrian has been sentenced to probation, jail time, community service, and a license suspension.
A Morris County judge has sentenced a 29-year-old Chatham Township man in connection with a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred earlier this year in Chatham Borough.
Matthew Vining was sentenced Thursday after previously pleading guilty to one count of reckless vehicular homicide, a third-degree crime, and a traffic violation for failure to maintain a lane, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Guilty plea entered in May
Vining entered his guilty plea on May 4 before Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Taylor.
On Thursday, Judge Taylor sentenced Vining to a three-year term of probation. As a condition of probation, he must serve 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility, complete 80 hours of community service, and undergo a six-month driver’s license suspension that will begin after his release from jail.
Pedestrian struck on Fairmount Avenue
The crash occurred at approximately 12:07 p.m. on Jan. 2 on Fairmount Avenue in Chatham Borough.
According to investigators, Vining was driving a Ford F-150 southbound in the shoulder of Fairmount Avenue when the vehicle struck a pedestrian.
“The investigation revealed that a Ford F-150, driven by Vining, had been traveling south in the shoulder of Fairmont Avenue when it struck a pedestrian,” the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The 54-year-old victim was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Multiple agencies assisted investigation
The case was investigated by the Chatham Borough Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Chatham Borough Police Chief Brian Gibbons announced the sentencing following Thursday’s court proceedings.
Key Points
• Matthew Vining, 29, of Chatham Township was sentenced after pleading guilty to reckless vehicular homicide.
• Prosecutors said Vining was driving on the shoulder of Fairmount Avenue when his Ford F-150 struck a pedestrian on Jan. 2.
• The sentence includes three years of probation, 364 days in jail, 80 hours of community service, and a six-month driver’s license suspension.