Teen driver, mother guilty in fatal Salem County crash

A teenager and his mother have both pleaded guilty in connection with a high-speed crash that killed a 15-year-old boy in New Jersey. The crash occurred in May 2022 in Salem County, taking the life of Schalick High School student Evan D'Anjou. Dane T. Pierce, now 19, was driving the car when the accident happened. He was initially charged with serious offenses, including aggravated manslaughter. Under a plea deal, Pierce will plead guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide. He faces a recommendation of four years in a youth correctional facility, with 85% of that time needing to be served before he can be eligible for parole. At the time of the crash, Pierce was just 16 and did not have a valid driver’s license. Reports show he was driving at speeds over 100 mph when he ran a stop sign and crashed into a tree. After the crash, he reportedly told police he “killed his best friend.” His blood tests indicated he had marijuana in his system, although details of how this was confirmed were not clear. Pierce's mother, Tisha Gargon, 53, was also indicted for lending her son the car. She will plead guilty to a charge related to public health and safety. The plea agreement suggests she could receive a five-year prison sentence. Sentencing for both Pierce and Gargon is set for May. The case is ongoing, with a civil lawsuit filed by D’Anjou's estate, claiming that a nearby stop sign was blocked by foliage, preventing the boys from seeing it before the crash.