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The driver of a 2003 Infiniti is charged with two deaths by car after an accident at H2Oi, an unsanctioned auto show that took place this weekend in Wildwood, New Jersey.
The driver, Gerald J. White of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is accused of hitting a 2014 Honda Civic followed by two pedestrians. One of the pedestrians, Lindsay Weakland, an 18-year-old from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. The condition of the second pedestrian is unknown at this time.
Timothy Ogden, 34, of Clayton, NJ, a passenger in the Civic, was taken to Atlantic City Medical Center but died of his injuries, NJ.com reports. After the accident, White is charged with attempting to flee the scene, but was caught shortly after. As a result, he is also charged with evasion, leaving the scene of an accident and violating laws to protect public safety. He is being held in Cape May Prison.
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“We have heard of tragic deaths in this country from stray bullets from illegal shootings that hit innocent bystanders and children. This is no different,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Driving a motor vehicle at high speed in a populated area is essentially the same as firing a firearm. The results are the same, death and injury.”
While authorities were aware of the H2Oi pop-up meeting this weekend, they said they were unprepared for the sheer number of people who would attend the event without proper permits. Just one of many incidents that took place, authorities called the meeting, which historically took place in Ocean City, Maryland, “hectic.”
“Make no mistake that the tragic and dangerous events of recent days in Wildwood, Rio Grande, Seaville and surrounding communities are a direct result of the organizers of a pop-up car rally that self-identified as H20i or H2022,” Sutherland wrote. in a statement. “Directing hundreds, if not thousands, of people driving powerful vehicles into an area without any planning, staging or authorization created the chaos that led to these deaths and injuries.”
Indeed, the administrators of the “H2Oi Wildwood 2022” Facebook Group left the group shortly after the event ended. Meanwhile, someone wrote “H2Oi ocmd will never be the same” in the “About” section of the group.
However, authorities promise to investigate the matter further now that the chaos of the weekend has subsided.
“There is still much to learn about the reckless chaos that has descended on our streets this weekend,” Middle Township Mayor Tim Donahue wrote in a statement. “Believe me, a thorough investigation is underway and criminal charges will be brought and the organizers of this lawless chaos will be held accountable.”
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