A Vernon New Jersey man was sentenced to jail time after he pleaded guilty to causing a fatal car crash in Butler, NJ.

The suspect is a 21-year-old man from Vernon Township NJ. He was driving his motor vehicle on Route 23 in Butler NJ last July when he suddenly lost control of the car. According to law enforcement officials, the suspect was speeding just before the auto accident occurred.

The force of impact in the single-vehicle accident caused all three people inside the car to be ejected onto the roadway. One of the passengers, a 20-year-old West Milford man, later died as a result of his accident-related injuries.

Morris County prosecutors could potentially have pursued vehicular manslaughter charges against the suspect, but instead they allowed the suspect to plead guilty to two counts of assault by auto and multiple traffic violations.

The suspect recently appeared in Morris County Superior Court, located in Morristown NJ, so that a judge could approve the plea deal and sentence him to 270 days in the Morris County Jail.

The judge also ordered the suspect to perform 150 hours of community service after his release from jail. Additionally, the suspect will be on probation for four years and his driver’s license will be suspended for one year.

For further information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Vernon Man Sentenced in Fatal 2016 Butler Crash.”