Former New Jersey police officer John P. McClave III, 38, of Toms River, was convicted of two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide for a 2021 crash that killed a Maryland couple.
Crash Details
On October 9, 2021, around 7:30 p.m., McClave—driving to his Hillside PD shift—lost control on Garden State Parkway northbound lanes in Tinton Falls, went airborne off an embankment, and struck Angel L. Acevedo Jr., 40, and wife Daniela Correia Salles, 35, on Asbury Avenue. He tested positive for THC (marijuana) but below legal BAC limit; prosecutors proved reckless driving under the influence. McClave suffered non-life-threatening injuries; victims died at the scene.
Sentence Ahead
He faces up to 20 years in prison (10 years per count), with 85% no-parole under NERA; sentencing set for May 8, 2026, in Ocean County Superior Court (venue shifted to avoid conflict). The case, tried after a weeklong jury trial ending around March 11, 2026, highlights risks of impaired driving even for officers.
