May 14, 2026, 10:07 a.m. ET
TOMS RIVER – A former Hillside police detective has received a 17-year prison sentence for a fatal crash in Tinton Falls, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
John P. McClave III, 38, was sentenced on May 8 by Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch to consecutive terms of 8 1/2 years for each of the two victims, Santiago stated.
McClave must serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole due to New Jersey's No Early Release Act.
He was convicted of vehicular homicide in connection with a crash on October 9, 2021, that killed 40-year-old Angel L. Acevedo and his 35-year-old wife, Daniela Correia Salles, both of Baltimore.
The trial was held in Ocean County to avoid conflicts with the Monmouth County judiciary, Santiago noted.
The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. when McClave, driving a 2018 GMC Canyon, veered off the Garden State Parkway, collided with an embankment, and landed on a 2020 Toyota Corolla driven by Acevedo.
Both victims sustained severe injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities noted McClave was under the influence of alcohol and THC at the time of the incident, which was confirmed by the investigation.
Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Joseph Cummings and Sarah Mielke represented the state, while McClave was defended by attorney Anthony Cherry of Eatontown.