NJ man who drove 107 mph in crash that killed sleeping boy pleads guilty

ABSECON, N.J. (WPVI) -- A man from Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter last week in the death of 8-year-old Javier Velez.

Prosecutors say 25-year-old Edward Johnson was driving while intoxicated and at a speed of 107 miles an hour when he slammed into a parked vehicle in which the little boy was sleeping.

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The family of an 8-year-old boy who was killed in a New Jersey car crash earlier this week wants to know why the driver has not been arrested.

Velez was on a fishing trip with his dad in Absecon when police say Johnson veered off the White Horse Pike on July 23, 2023.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says Johnston will be sentenced on May 13, 2025.

According to the plea agreement, Johnston must serve 15 years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning he must serve 85% before becoming eligible for parole.

Velez lived in the Logan section of Philadelphia with his family.