TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A New York man who fled justice for more than a decade has pleaded guilty to strict liability vehicular homicide in connection with a 2009 crash that killed a 26-year-old passenger on the Garden State Parkway, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
Chaudhry Yousaf, 52, of Valley Stream, New York, entered his plea Monday before Judge Dina M. Vicari. Prosecutors will seek a five-year prison sentence when Yousaf is sentenced on September 12.
The crash occurred on March 28, 2009, near milepost 77 on the southbound side of the Parkway. According to New Jersey State Police, Yousaf was driving a black Lincoln Town Car when he lost control, struck a roadway sign, veered into a wooded area, and hit a tree. The vehicle was carrying two passengers: Harris Kahn, 26, of Queens, who later died from his injuries, and Kishwa Jahan, 32, of Queens Village, who was treated and released.
Troopers noted signs of intoxication and arrested Yousaf at the scene for driving under the influence. He was later charged with vehicular homicide and released on $150,000 bail.
On February 5, 2010, Yousaf failed to appear in court and a bench warrant was issued. He remained a fugitive until December 24, 2024, when he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service at JFK Airport in New York. He was extradited to New Jersey and has been held in Ocean County Jail since.
Yousaf has an active ICE detainer. Yousaf’s plea follows his arrest nearly 16 years after the fatal crash.
