UNION — An Elizabeth man has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, and other offenses in connection with an accident that killed a New York City firefighter Friday morning, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park has announced.
John W. Monteverde, a Queens resident and 56-year-old FDNY veteran with more than three decades of service, was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck allegedly caused by Anthony J. Marsal, 24, of Elizabeth.
It was around 5:15 a.m. Friday when Union police responded to a report of an accident in the area of North Avenue and Vivian Terrace, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Henn. A joint investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the Union Township Police Department determined that Marsal, who was driving a white 1996 Honda Accord, made a left turn off of Vivian Terrace onto North Avenue, striking the 2004 Suzuki motorcycle being driven by Monteverde.
Monteverde was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the accident. Officers reportedly detected the odor of alcohol on Marsal’s breath and noted that his eyes were bloodshot; he was subsequently arrested, with bail set at $100,000 with no cash option by state Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Walsh.