Grand Jury Indicts Alleged Driver in Fatal Rt. 1 Accident

A Mercer County grand jury last week indicted a West Windsor man who, according to authorities, was driving the car that struck and killed a handicapped woman as she tried to cross a Lawrence Township intersection in a motorized wheelchair in August.

The grand jury on Friday (Dec. 7) indicted Mitchell R. Depace, 26, of Jewel Road, West Windsor, on one count of second-degree death by auto, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.

The deadly accident occurred shortly before 11:45 p.m. on Aug. 23 along the northbound side of Route 1 (Brunswick Pike) at the intersection of Bakers Basin Road/Franklin Corner Road.

Killed was Jennifer L. Grondski, 40, whose last known address was in the 1900 block of Greenwood Avenue, Trenton.

Authorities said Grondski, operating a motorized wheelchair, was attempting to cross Route 1, going east from Franklin Corner Road toward Bakers Basin Road, when she was hit by a 2011 Nissan Altima being driven in the northbound right lane by Depace.

The car hit Grondski with such force that she was thrown a considerable distance; she was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Depace was subsequently arrested and charged with death by auto, driving under the influence and reckless driving.