MAYS LANDING, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A South Jersey man who pleaded guilty to a 2023 drunk driving crash that killed a child in Absecon, New Jersey was sentenced to more than a decade in state prison.
Prosecutors say in July 2023, Edward Johnston, 25, was driving under the influence, speeding at 107 mph and texting before he crashed into a parked car, killing eight-year-old Javier “Javi” Velez, who was sleeping in the backseat. Javi’s family was fishing near U.S. Route 30 and Absecon Boulevard when the crash occurred.
Johnston was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for aggravated manslaughter. Before his sentence was handed down, Javi’s mother Kayla Smith addressed Johnston, telling him of the heartbreak he had caused.
“Do you know the trauma all of us suffer daily because we saw that little boy, who was the happiest, cutest, smartest thing we had in our family, lay lifeless in the casket with his face covered with cuts and bruises?” she asked.
“Literally, I want you to suffer. I hope you suffer. I hate you. I have no mercy for you. I want you to be haunted — and as many news stations and podcasts that we have done, I hope as soon as you enter that jail they know exactly who you are because I planted your face everywhere, and I hope that they get you. Enjoy your vacation, kid killer.”
Johnston, for his part, apologized to Javi’s family, reading a letter he wrote before sentencing.
“Your feelings of anger towards me are justified. I am responsible for my poor judgment and actions that night, and I take full accountability for your loss,” he said.
“I think about your son every day and it has destroyed me, so I can't imagine how it has affected you.”
Johnston will not be eligible for parole until the 11th year of his sentence.