From my understanding, Depace had he not been under the influence should not have been a fault because he had the green light. On another note, what is a handicapped person doing out at 11:40 at night, trying to cross route 1 of all streets in a wheelchair. Did her chair have lights? Was she visible? And why was she crossing against the light? Yes he should be arrested for DUI but not for her death.

I think this is the #1 spot for accidents in Lawrenceville. Crossing the street there should be forbidden. It is just too unsafe for pedestrians.

Idiot

Sarah Green. From my understanding your saying that people in wheel chairs should have a curfew. Your dumb and heartless. This was someone's child. You know nothing. Keep your mouth shut. I hope he goes to jail for a long time and when he gets out he is in need of a wheel chair from the prison love.

Gogedder...pot calling the kettle black a bit? Depace is someone's child as well, so what do you know with your idiotic comments

Depace is someone's kid but also is responsible for driving under the influence. The police will figure out the at fault part of this tragedy but regardless of that outcome he chose to drive under the influence. There is no excuse for that at any time.
Sarah appears to be saying its ok to drive drunk if you don't hit someone. In this case since it was someone in a wheelchair, well no biggie. They shouldn't be out late living a normal life. Who cares why she was out, none of our business. A human being who might have made a mistake when crossing or might not. They'll investigate that part.
He was under the influence. He's the dirt of the world. His own pleasure comes before the lives of others on the road.

Tony, agree completely. Just pointing out the fact that if the driver wasn't legally drunk, there would be no charges at all...fact. The woman was crossing on a green light.

A tragedy such as this could have happened even if the driver had not been drinking. Crossing Route 1 late at night on a green light is highly dangerous and risky for any person to cross. It is sad to think that this woman may had no other alternative, and because she was in a wheelchair it took her longer to cross thus creating a situation where she was crossing at a green light.
Please do not criticize Sarah Green. This young man should not have been drinking and should get a DUI. But I agree with Sarah, not manslaughter. A life was tragically lost and another ruined both at a young age.

Luckily the traffic light camera made this intersection safer.

Jonathan you are right he is someone's kid. But he took a life. Grondski's life was taken. Should we have sympathy for the shooter from Colorado because he was someone's kid. Depace killed someone. He deserves the charge and will do 5 or more years. This could happen to anyone. Anyone dumb enough to drink and drive. Selfish. Good luck in prison. My prayers go out to grondski's family and Depace's family. As for Depace, you deserve what you get.

Don't be calous people. I pray for the victim and her family, and I pray for the driver for he will probably never live life the same. A tragedy that unless you have never been in their shoes, be kind.

Hey Gogedder keep you mouth shut your talking about my wifes family you cold hearted SOB. She had nocar an no on to talk or help er g anyplace it was not yur fault. Letme s you somethin ho would you like it if i said hey you mom's dead that's what she get's. Or look at i this way if YOUR MOM was the one who got hit? Watch what you say FU**ER. As for the rest of you THANK YOU

The person that killed this woman was a great person, he didn't mean to do it that's why they call it an accident. Yes he should not have been drinking and driving but 8 of 10 people drink and drive every day. Route One is a busy highway no one should be crossing it late at night when you can't see them coming especially when they have a green light. He is not right by any means, but he his life should not be ruined over it, and it will be because he will beat himself up for the rest of his life, we don't need to beat him up also. Accidents happen every day that does not make him a terrible person.

If the driver had the green light and was not speeding then there are mitigating circumstances. Who's to determine that even a sober driver might not be able to see a person in a wheel chair at night, or to be able to stop or avoid hitting her?
DUI is a crime and this young man should be punished but homicide is too severe a charge and a second life should not be ruined by this tragedy.

That light makes me so paranoid that I might hit a person crossing in broad daylight while I have the green light. I basically stare at that dumb light and will it to not change to amber. A person in a wheelchair at night? Forgedaboutit.

Tragic story and I am looking for more details on the victim, a wheelchair bound Trenton resident crossing Route 1/Franklin Corner at 11:40pm? From where and to where?

Wow sounds like a sober person would of hit her, he should be charged with a DUI but not anything else. Who crosses rt 1 in a wheel chair at 11:45 p.m. I feel sorry for the victim's family but it is unsafe to cross such a highly populated highway at night especially if you can't use your legs.

Hey Gary look again at gogedders posts. He was the only one defender the victim.

He was blitzed people. Accidents do happen but if I shoot a gun at a building but have no intention of hurting anyone inside and ACCIDENTALY kill someone. Well is that just an accident. Or did my reckless and stupid behavior cost someone the right to live. And to the post giving stats about how many people drive drunk. What's your point. If everyone jumped off a bridge is that ok because it is the norm. To the post asking where the woman was going. What does that have to do with anything. If she was going to a motel or a bar is it ok that she was killed. You people make me sick a rich white kid hits and kills someone while drunk and he's the victim. Redicilous. And to clarify I'm white. But the writings on the wall. I'm ashamed of this town for so many reasons. Now I have another.

I'm sorry for your loss. I hope that people see now that this man is not a victim. And accident is based on someone making a mistake. When you drink and drive it is no longer an accident. I hope that the above comments made by insensitive idiots do not affect your long process of mourning.

Why don't you idiots stop posting these nasty comments. Post sympathy for the family or nothing at all. so STOP YOU MORONS

I have a lot of sympathy for both families but the report said he was intoxicated .. Not WASTED so John Adams keep your ignorant comments to yourself ... We get it he was wrong .. But you don't know either of these people so please let their families deal with it in peace because that's who is reading this!

James Adam, how do you know that he was "so drunk he couldn't see some one in a cross walk". You need to calm down, At a poorly light intersection at night, I'm not sure I would be able to see someone in a wheel chair at night.Yea he was legally intoxicated but maybe she was too. He had a green light, I have never stopped on a highway if a light was green, just sayin.

Also sounds like it could of been suicide, I read a little about this women. Lets just say she does not sound like the most upstanding citizen. LeeLeenj commented "Thank you Mr. Depace you did the world a favor and finally vindicated my sons father death.. may she rot in hell.." on the article on Trentonian.com. Two wrongs don't make a right, he defiantly sound be charged with DUI and not be allowed to drive and pay lots of fines. However changed with murder, no, this was wrong place wrong time. A sober person would of hit this women.

Sarah. I hope you rot in hell. There we go. Now that it's been said in comments, that makes it true and your officially a horrible citizen. Make sense?

Sarah I agree with you there are two sides to every story

I don't care if she was a bad person or not. Does that make it right? He should walk? This mans color is blinding you with ignorance. He will pay for his crime and the big boys in prison will not go easy on him.

You are right no has the right to take someones life good or bad hope he does pay let his family to see how it is without a love one for some time

So a drunk driver and a person on a wheel chair with no lights and crossing against the light. Yeah that's not going to work out well.

Why does no one look at the jaywalking the lady in the wheel chair. Since she was jaywalking it can not be the responsibility of the driver. DUI, but no vehicular homicide.

OK folks, I crossed that very intersection where the woman was struck, earlier today to possibly gain a perspective on what may have occurred the night of the accident.

I entered the crosswalk from the same side she did as soon as the green walk signal began. I walked at a normal pace. The red "don't walk" mode began flashing when I was about half way across. The numbered countdown of seconds left to get to the other side was at 11 seconds when I reach the opposite curb.

That means in about 15 seconds traffic could begin entering the intersection. This is a very dangerous intersection, and it was daylight! In addition vehicles are traveling at high speed at that point (50 - 60 mph).

Maybe a dangerous intersection bears part of the blame since most here seem to be polarized as to place the burden of blame on either the driver or the woman crossing in the wheel chair.

So if you take the time to read this story she was crossing against the light came across the barrier and he was in the right lane heading north. So his reaction time would be one lane of traffic as she became visible after clearing the barrier. I personally am glad it wasn't me stone cold sober. That's not a lot of time and considering it was night and we don't know what color she was wearing this COULD have ended in a fatality for any of us. However, when you drink and drive you set yourself up to be charged as this guy was. Plea it out and move on. No winners here. He deserves a couple years in jail and she has already paid the highest price.

Sarah, knows more than all of you. The truth will come out. A drug test needs to be given to the victim, even though she died. Hope the EMT used gloves, I am pretty sure she had HIV. There was a motel near by, I know and Sarah knows what she does for a living other than collecting Welfare and Disability, which I know should not matter. Driver shouldn't be drinking and driving but I wonder what the status was of the victim, since she was driving her wheelchair and has a history of drug abuse and a rap sheet to go along with it.

Guess what truth. Nowhere in NJ law does it make it illegal to use drugs and operate a wheelchair. Also the HIV, really should that matter. What does that make this a mercy killing and ok?

Does anyone wonder why the other guy in the auto ranned maybe he had something to hide

Sarah doesn't know unless she was there at the accident and each and every one of has made pass mistakes does that mean we should all be KILLED by a DRUNK DRIVER if that is what it means population would be at a low

he was intoxicated but Who crosses rt1 late at night when they don't have the right away!? Not to mention and not to be rude but she's in a wheelchair she couldn't go any faster if a car was coming to get out of the way. The speed limit is 55 it's a very dangerous intersection! Anyone could have hit this lady! And who knows she might have been under the influence herself to cross rt 1 so carefree when she did not have the right of way. I think before people start calling Mitch a murderer and you should wait for the woman's autopsy to come back. And not for nothing but what is anyone doing roaming the streets at midnight !? You are asking for trouble traveling busy roads alone. Also does anyone know what Mitch's BAC was? I think anyone
Could have hit this woman or swerved and hit another car.

I think this last person (Carr. Rose) sums it up best. It's a dangerous intersection to cross, especially late at night in a wheelchair!

I crossed that intersection on foot, I had about 15 seconds to spare after I reached the other side.

Nobody should drive drunk, but this young man is not a murderer. There should be some charges but we need to give him the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are in.

Did they actually give him a breathalyzer or a blood test to see what his alcohol level was? This is a tragic accident for all involved and their families but the driver may have only had one beer and so he would have smelled like alcohol in any case. He also had a green light and I would guess it would have been difficult for any person to see or expect someone to be crossing Rt 1 at that hour of the night in a wheelchair. The pedestrian should not have been out at that hour crossing a major highway unaided as well. This case needs to be looked at from all angles before one is accused of homicide.

The truth is, this type of accident could have happend day or night. Even if a driver was sober, the lighting in that intersection sucks at night and the crossing light at that intersection simply doesn't allow even a healthy person enough time to safely cross the street without having to run at the halfway point, which in my opinion is inexcusable. I've seen elderly people and those with smaller kids try to cross this intersection and it's very dangerous for them to do it safely. When you add all the people currently living at the 3 motels surrounding that immediate area, there are a lot more people crossing that interesection regularly and the town needs to reevaluate the timing of that crossing light because there are a lot of people trying to cross that intersection. They should start by extending the timer for at least another 5 seconds. Furthermore, I think that there should be better lighting at night as well because while it's just adaquate enough to drive through, it certainly isn't bright enough to see people trying to cross the street late at night. My heart goes out to the victim and her family. The driver deserves to be charged because he took it upon himself to drive drunk and he should suffer the consequences of his irresponsible actions. Had he been sober, this might have just been a tragic accident and most of us might have more sympathy for him.

You are so right there isn't enough time to get across that street.Many of the people at the motels cross the street to get something to eat. So many people are feeling sorry the driver who made the choice to drive drunk so I also feel he suffer the consequnces for his choice why didn't he call for a ride. Yes if he was sober it would of been an accident with injuries Every day you hear don't drink and drive maybe next time he will make a better choiceit is only a shame it had to take the life of someone

Maybe there should be a foot bridge at this intersection where it is needed and will save lives rather then on the money pit pet project trail. Oh yes the communities best interest is being attended to by or local government.

For the life of me, i can't understand what it will take for them to put in an overpass at this intersection? how many accidents and traffic backups have to take place every morning because they refuse to do so. Who can make this happen? I thought that the governor's accident there years ago would do the trick but even that didnt help trigger the building of an overpass.

No chance at overpass not enough room without taking out several businesses.

This is a very sad story. I wonder if they did any blood work on the victim. Was she intoxicated? Perhaps that is why she chose to go out late at night and made a decision to take a dangerous trip across a highway in a wheelchair...just a thought.

She was in a motorized wheel chair at 11:40 pm. To any one who doesn't know they go pretty fast!!!! Faster then someone can walk. Being that she was on disability and welfare I'm sure she got a state of the art one! Why was she in this highly populated drug/prostitution area?!?!? OK Mitch was legally intoxicated. He was wrong. He should pay for DUI. Not this POS death. Was it 2, 3, 4, 5 drinks who knows. He is a great guy,college degree, good job, goes to work everyday.... UPSTANDING CITIZEN!!!! He hit and killed a POS heroin addict who was on disability and welfare. Death is tragic, however in my opinion Depace saved every single taxpayer money. This POS goes and shoots up everyday on taxpayer money!!!!! Mitch, I am sooooo sorry that something like this had to happen to you. Yes you deserve punishment but not this. This might seem like the ultimate low for you but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Yeah, real upstanding citizen. Drunk drivers, the outstanding citizens around. Guy is worthless, even if he hadn't murdered someone he is worthless. Anyone who chooses to drive while drunk is worthless.
Whatever the victim was doing out or with her life is her business. She didn't run anyone over with her wheelchair.
Depace and all drunk drivers should be locked up. Plain and simple. Sure a sober person might have hit her, but they didn't. Only the drunken fool did that.

See how easy it is to get people in this country to fight each other ... that is how we will win.

This is a terrible tragedy and for all of those involved I wish it hadn't happened. That being said, DePace made a mistake. He is going to pay for this for the rest of his life. For anyone who knows him, he will beat himself up every single day, he will never get this image out of his head, and he would never blame this on anyone but himself. He wouldn't say this lady is "pos heroine addict" "drunk" or "shouldn't have been out crossing rt. 1" - that isn't the person he is. He will take responsibility and he'll do this with the support of his family and friends. He is an upstanding guy, not some "rich white kid" - he's worked for everything he has and unfortunately he made an awful mistake that has ruined his whole entire life a mistake that he can never take back and HE is the one that will live with it. Posting and calling him a scum bag and that he gets what he deseves this and that....that isn't true. Most of us posting are guilty for the same thing, drinking and driving. We are all just very lucky that we never had something as horrible as this happen to us.
Kris

I'm sure she does. I just think it's very one-sided to think that it's only the victims family affected. This was an accident, and yes, DePace was wrong, there is no arguing that. It's just that he is being painted as a monster, something he is not. He's a human being that made a terrible mistake, one that can't be taken back. I don't think either families benefit from the outpouring negativity that is all over the web. This lady lost her life, and he lost his as well. Neither one is better off than the other at this point.

What extreme polarized views here! Either "he's a worthless drunk who killed an innocent victim" or "he did a service to society by killing a worthless drug addict";
Isn't there any middle ground and rational people here?