DUI Tesla Driver Charged In Parkway Crash That Killed Airlines Employee In Sayreville: Records
A DUI Tesla driver has been charged in a deadly crash that killed a United Airlines employee from New York on the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey State Police and court records confirm.
Esther Paz
Esther Paz
Troopers responded at 12:46 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, to a crash near milepost 126.4 northbound in Sayreville, NJSP Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said.
A Chrysler minivan was stopped on the right shoulder when a Tesla, operated by 21-year-old Anish Shriram of Livingston, slammed into the back of a Nissan, setting off a chain reaction, Lebron said.
After the Tesla hit the Nissan, both vehicles veered into the right shoulder and hit the guardrail. The Tesla then went through the guardrail, into a grass median, and struck a traffic delineator, Lebron said. The Nissan overturned and crashed into the Chrysler, according to the sergeant.
The operator of the Nissan, Esther Paz, 58, of Brooklyn, NY, died of injuries sustained in the crash, Lebron said.
Shriram was not hurt and the driver of the Chrysler suffered minor injuries, police said.
Court records show that Shriram was charged with the following offenses following the crash:
- Operating under the influence of liquor or drugs (39:4-50)
- Reckless driving (39:4-96)
- Damaging turnpike property (19:9-1.12)
- Delaying traffic (39:4-56)
- Following too closely (39:4-89)
All offenses are dated July 6 and are scheduled for court on July 29.
A LinkedIn page
for someone named Anish Shriram, who lists Livingston, NJ, as his hometown and appears to match the age of the defendant, states he is a rising senior at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, studying Computer and Electrical Engineering.
The page, which has not been verified by law enforcement, says he is currently an electrical engineering intern at Legrand in West Hartford, CT, and a Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate with the U.S. Navy. His bio highlights experience in ROTC, a background in military science, and research in medicine and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, a
GoFundMe
campaign launched in Paz’s memory had raised $9,000 as of Sunday, July 13.
Her
obituary
on the Cobble Hill Chapels website says she was a longtime United Airlines employee, having started her career in 1997, and was known among colleagues as a source of positive energy and support. Paz’s LinkedIn page shows she worked in customer support for the airline.
She is survived by her sister, Maria C. Paz, and nieces Angelina and Zane (Rosalinda) Martinez. She was predeceased by her parents, Maria M. Paz and Manuel Paz.
Esther loved sunsets, nature, and walks through Brooklyn Bridge Park and Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, according to her obituary. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with friends and family. Her loved ones remember her as a radiant spirit with a joyful heart and an infectious sense of humor.
Click here to view the GoFundMe
and
here for her complete obituary.
