Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Alejandro Huerta-Arias, 24, of Toms River, was sentenced today to eight years in New Jersey State Prison for his role in a 2022 motor vehicle crash that resulted in the death of R’ Feivy Mandel z”l, 32, of Lakewood.
The sentence, handed down by Judge Dina M. Vicari, is subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA), which requires Huerta-Arias to serve at least 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole.
The sentencing follows Huerta-Arias’ conviction on a charge of Vehicular Homicide, which was returned by a jury after a nearly two-week trial that concluded on March 18.
The fatal crash occurred on the morning of March 9, 2022, at approximately 8:15 a.m., when Lakewood police responded to a serious collision at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Courtney Road. According to investigators, Huerta-Arias was driving a 2012 Infiniti G35 northbound on Madison Avenue when he struck a 2008 Chevrolet Impala driven by R’ Feivy z”l, who was attempting to make a left turn onto Courtney Road.
The impact forced R’ Feivy’s vehicle into a traffic signal. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Huerta-Arias was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with a fractured leg.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and the Lakewood Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit determined that Huerta-Arias had been traveling at an average speed of 93 miles per hour at the time of the crash—more than double the posted 40 mph speed limit.
Huerta-Arias was charged with Vehicular Homicide on June 7, 2022, and voluntarily surrendered to Lakewood Police on the same day. Although initially released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines, he has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail since the guilty verdict in March.