Rutgers Law

New Jersey Statutes, Title: 2C, THE NEW JERSEY CODE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    Chapter 11: Homicide

      Section: 2C:11-5.3: Strict liability vehicular homicide.

          1. a. Criminal homicide constitutes strict liability vehicular homicide when it is caused by driving a vehicle while intoxicated in violation of R.S.39:4-50 or operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs in violation of section 3 of P.L.1952, c.157 (C.12:7-46).

b. Strict liability vehicular homicide is a crime of the third degree, but the presumption of nonimprisonment set forth in subsection e. of N.J.S.2C:44-1 shall not apply.

c. The provisions of N.J.S.2C:2-3 governing the causal relationship between conduct and result shall not apply in a prosecution under this section. For purposes of this offense, the defendant's act of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in violation of R.S.39:4-50 or operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs in violation of section 3 of P.L.1952, c.157 (C.12:7-46) is the cause of death when:

(1) The operation of the motor vehicle or vessel is an antecedent but for which the death would not have occurred; and

(2) The death was not:

(a) too remote in its occurrence as to have a just bearing on the defendant's liability; or

(b) too dependent upon the conduct of another person which was unrelated to the defendant's operation of a motor vehicle or vessel as to have a just bearing on the defendant's liability.

d. It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the decedent contributed to his own death by reckless or negligent conduct or operation of a motor vehicle or vessel.

e. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to preclude, if the evidence so warrants, an indictment and conviction for any other offense.

L.2017, c.165, s.1.

This section added to the Rutgers Database: 2017-08-18 12:12:50.

Older versions of 2c:11-5.3 (if available):

Court decisions that cite this statute: CLICK HERE.