Isaiah Buchanan pled guilty to First Degree Aggravated Manslaughter in exchange for a 14 year sentence
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that the driver of a stolen vehicle that crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer last year on Rt. 130 south in Cinnaminson has pled guilty to causing the death of his 15-year-old passenger.
Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, Isaiah Buchanan, 18, of Cinnaminson, pled guilty Monday, Oct 1 in Superior Court to First Degree Aggravated Manslaughter in exchange for a 14-year sentence in New Jersey state prison. The Hon. Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr., set sentencing for Dec. 7.
The investigation revealed that Buchanan was driving the vehicle on Nov 15, 2017, when the collision occurred near the intersection with Riverton Road. Kassidy Bush, who was a sophomore at Palmyra High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation further revealed that the BMW sedan Buchanan was driving had previously been reported as stolen out of Cinnaminson. Prior to the collision, Cinnaminson police had attempted to execute a traffic stop on the vehicle, but Buchanan accelerated instead of pulling over.
Toxicology tests conducted on blood drawn from Buchanan indicated he had been using cocaine, marijuana and Xanax prior to the collision. Buchanan was a juvenile at the time, and the Prosecutor’s Office successfully argued that he be waived up from juvenile court and tried as an adult.
Buchanan was admitted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and released a few days later. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
Buchanan is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Courtney J. O’Brien, supervisor of the BCPO Family Unit. The investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the Evesham Township Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Melvin Rogers.
