Trenton Woman Dies After Crash in Hamilton Monday Night

Heaviside
Heaviside

Police were chasing a man just before 10 p.m. Monday night after a drug sale in Trenton.  The man struck and killed a young woman in Hamilton Township during the chase.

The New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Unit was conducting a narcotics investigation in Trenton on Monday night. After observing what appeared to be an illegal drug transaction, officers attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop on a gray Chevy Trailblazer. The driver fled the scene and was pursued by police. Officers stopped following the Trailblazer in the Whitehorse Circle area of Hamilton Township, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The Trailblazer continued north on Broad Street. At the intersection of Broad Street and Park Avenue, the driver of the Trailblazer ran a red light and struck a black Honda Civic attempting a left hand turn onto Park Avenue. The Civic was struck on the passenger side door, and forced the car hit a telephone pole.

The driver of the Honda Civic, 22-year-old Deja Farrior of Trenton, was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver of the Trailblazer, later identified as Chandler Heaviside, 22, exited the vehicle and fled on foot. He was caught by police officers. A bundle of heroin was found on the Trailblazer floorboard, and Heaviside was also carrying heroin, according to the prosecutor’s office. The Jackson resident has been charged with drug possession, death by auto while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, causing death while driving with a suspended license, and assault by auto and eluding.

Two other passengers who were in the vehicle with Heaviside were also caught at the scene. Lawrence Sears, 28, of Manchester, and Harry Remington III, 25, of Brick, were both treated and released from the hospital. Both were charged with drug possession.

The incident is being investigated by Detective Tony Abarno of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Serious Collision Response Team, the Hamilton Township Police Division Traffic Unit, and the New Jersey State Police.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

One Comment

  1. These antiquated drug interdiction strategies are too costly – high speed chases belong in the “French Connection” not on the street of urban America in the 21st century. This is a cheap way of catching these drug dealers. Now Trenton has to pay up millions of dollars for the unnecessary death of a future leader of a family, community, and church, simply to catch a drug dealer that would eventually only serve a couple of weeks in jail.

    Shame on the State of NJ and the City of Trenton for their use of outdated and dangerous tactics to apprehend a psychologically ill person addicted to drugs with low self esteem causing him to generate income by disseminating drugs illegally. The State Trooper Commander and the Chief of Police will now have to face the fact that it is not worth the life of a 22 young person, starting a positive life after surviving the struggles of urban America.

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