BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Charges have been filed against a Belleville girl, 17, who was the driver in a single-car crash on Aug. 2, which killed Natasha Bellott, a Bloomfield resident returning from an “American Idol” audition at Temple University. The charges were filed in Bucks County Juvenile Court, by the Office of the Bucks County District Attorney, located in Doylestown, Pa.
The Belleville girl remains unidentified because she was a minor at the time of the accident.
According to Bob James, a district attorney spokesman, the Belleville minor was charged last week with one count of homicide by vehicle; three counts of aggravated assault; seven counts of reckless endangerment; and several traffic violations.
The accident occurred on northbound Interstate Highway 95, in Lower Makefield Township, at 6:42 p.m.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police at the time, a silver, 2003 Jeep Liberty passed a car in the right lane by driving onto the shoulder of the road at a high speed. The Jeep then traveled from the shoulder, across both northbound lanes and onto the grass median where it rolled over several times.
When troopers arrived on the scene, they found six individuals lying outside the vehicle with injuries varying from minor to unresponsive.
Besides Bellott and the Belleville minor, the passengers included Carl Delpolito, 24, from Bloomfield; Leslie McCoy, 19, from Montclair; Jacob Gorksi, 18, from East Orange; and a 16-year-old Bloomfield girl.
James said the Belleville girl was scheduled for an intake hearing in juvenile court this past Tuesday, Dec. 15.
“The judge will make a determination if she should be held pending a hearing,” he said.
He said in juvenile court, adjudication hearings take the place of a trial. The attorney for the girl can either challenge or not challenge the charges.
“The judge will determine what penalties will apply,” James said.
He said the penalties for a juvenile can be probation.
“There’s no set penalty,” he said. “In adult court, there are guidelines for the judge’s decisions.”
About the Author
