Prosecutors: 2 drivers charged with vehicular homicide in fatal Route 35 crash in Eatontown

Zyasia Henson, 28, and Edgar Marcial-Diaz, 32, are both charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto.

Lanette Espy

Apr 30, 2024, 1:57 PM

Updated 157 days ago

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Monmouth County prosecutors say two drivers were drunk when they both ran red lights at the Route 35 intersection in Eatontown last summer, resulting in the death of a 23-year-old woman from South Carolina.
The drivers, 28-year-old Zyasia Henson, of Long Branch, and 32-year-old Edgar Marcial-Diaz, of Red Bank, are now facing criminal charges.
Members of the Eatontown Police Department responded to the intersection of Route 35 and Broad Street on Aug. 24, 2023 for a report of a motor vehicle crash. They located the two involved vehicles, a 2006 Nissan Altima operated by Henson and a 2002 Dodge Durango operated by Marcial-Diaz.
Authorities say Marcial-Diaz was the only occupant of his vehicle, while Henson's vehicle had four relatives as passengers, including a 26-year-old woman, 23-year-old Octavius Wallace of Lake City, South Carolina, and her 4-year-old and 1-year-old sons.
Wallace was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The infant was also ejected from the vehicle but managed to escape serious injury. Henson's adult female passenger and her older son sustained serious injuries and were transported to medical facilities for treatment.
Henson and Marcial-Diaz are both charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Henson is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child and hindering apprehension.
Henson and Marcial-Diaz were criminally charged last month pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court. They were also both issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, failure to observe a traffic signal and reckless driving.