HE DROVE 107 MPH DRUNK — NOW HE’S BEHIND BARS AFTER KILLING A SLEEPING 8-YEAR-OLD, JAVIER VELEZ, IN A PARKED CAR
JerseyTalks StaffFull Story with Background:
A South Jersey man who drove drunk at over 100 miles per hour and killed a sleeping child in a horrific crash has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison, authorities announced Tuesday.
Edward Johnston, 25, of Egg Harbor City, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to aggravated manslaughter in connection with the deadly collision that occurred on July 23, 2023, along the White Horse Pike in Absecon, New Jersey.
According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Johnston was driving 107 mph around 3:25 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road, slamming into a legally parked car. Inside that vehicle was 8-year-old Javier "Javi" Velez of Philadelphia, asleep while his father and brother fished nearby. The violent impact killed the boy instantly.
Javier’s mother, Kaylah Smith, later shared that their car was parked well away from the shoulder in what they believed was a safe spot. The family had parked to spend the night fishing, unaware it would end in tragedy.
Johnston was arrested in November 2023 and formally charged with aggravated manslaughter. He also received summonses for DUI, reckless driving, and exceeding the speed limit by over 50 mph.
During his sentencing, Javi's family brought his ashes and photos into the courtroom, pleading for justice and remembrance. Smith addressed Johnston directly in an emotional statement, while Johnston, visibly shaken, apologized:
“I think about your son every day. It’s destroyed me. I can’t imagine how it has affected you.”
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Johnston must serve at least 85% of his sentence, or 12 years and 9 months, before becoming eligible for parole.
The case also sparked a legislative push. Javi’s mother is now advocating for a new state law that would close a bail loophole and revoke licenses and impound vehicles of defendants charged in deadly DUI crashes.
“I’m going to make sure no other family suffers the way we have,” Smith said. “I won’t stop until the law is changed.”
This devastating case not only highlights the irreversible consequences of reckless, intoxicated driving but also the growing movement for justice and reform led by grieving families.