Authorities said Anders Opitz, 19, caused a six-vehicle crash during rush hour on Route 73 last June.
WINSLOW TOWNSHIP -- A Pennsylvania man is facing death by auto and related charges in connection with a chain-reaction crash that killed an 18-month old and injured four others last year.
The Camden County Prosecutor's Office said Anders Opitz, 19 of Phoenixville, was charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto following an investigation into the June 29 crash on Route 73 in Winslow Township.
Authorities said Opitz was heading northbound on the roadway in a 2003 Ford F-250 at about 6:30 a.m. when he sideswiped two vehicles also heading north -- first a Chevy Van driven by a 60-year-old Berlin man and then a Mini Cooper driven by a 64-year-old Landisville man.
After striking those two vehicles, Opitz then crashed into the back of a 2006 Honda Accord driven by a 39-year-old man from Port Norris, which caused the Accord to crash into a 2008 Nissan Rogue. The Rogue, driven by a 54-year-old man from Hammonton, was pushed into a Nissan Versa driven by a 23-year-old Hammonton Woman.
A 19-month old girl, a passenger in the Honda Accord driven by her father, was transported to Cooper University Hospital by helicopter but later died of her injuries.
The girl's mother, Opitz, and the drivers of the other vehicles were injured in the crash and treated at local hospitals.
Authorities said Opitz was driving recklessly before the chain-reaction crash but did not elaborate on the nature of the recklessness. Opitz turned himself into Winslow Township Police after he was charged Friday and released after posting $100,000 bail.
Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.