A 27-year-old Mays Landing woman has pleaded guilty to killing a Stockton University student in a drunk, speeding crash on the Black Horse Pike, a case that began in the early morning hours of March 28, 2024, and ended weeks before the victim was set to walk at her college graduation. Alexia Glass admitted she was driving at excessive speed and under the influence when her Toyota Corolla slammed into the back of Yolanda Pacheco's vehicle on Route 322 in Hamilton Township, sending it flipping into three parked cars.
Pacheco, 22, of Mount Holly, was killed in the crash, according to authorities cited by Daily Voice, which first reported the guilty plea. A 30-year-old passenger from Egg Harbor City was also injured in the collision, authorities said. The crash occurred at approximately 12:26 a.m., according to reporting from RLS Media, which detailed how the impact caused Pacheco's car to flip before striking the parked vehicles.
Glass pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, joyriding, criminal mischief and DUI, per the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. The plea, confirmed publicly on Tuesday, resolves a case that had been building since an Atlantic County grand jury formally indicted Glass on June 4, 2024, on first-degree aggravated manslaughter charges after investigators determined she was speeding while intoxicated, the same outlet reported at the time.
A Life Cut Short Weeks Before Graduation
Pacheco was a psychology major at Stockton University, according to a GoFundMe page set up on her behalf, and had been living in Egg Harbor City while finishing her degree. She was expected to graduate with a bachelor's degree in May, per the fundraiser, a milestone she never reached. Pacheco attended Stockton University and had graduated from Rancocas Valley High School in 2019 before enrolling there, according to Lite 96.9 WFPG.
Instead of planning a graduation party, Pacheco's family was left planning a funeral. An online fundraiser created by her mother raised $22,718 from 452 donors to help cover the unexpected costs, exceeding its original goal, the station reported. Patricia Helmick described Pacheco as “a daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt and friend to her loved ones,” writing that “we are all heartbroken and left to pick up the pieces to give her a deserving homecoming.”
Pacheco, who went by the nickname JoJo according to her obituary, was remembered as someone who loved making candles, painting, pottery, animals, tubing and spending time with friends. Her obituary stated that “to know her was to love her” and that she “was always willing to help others.”
Prior DWI Conviction and Sentencing Under NERA
Glass had a prior conviction connected to impaired driving, having pleaded guilty in 2022 to driving drunk with her infant child in the backseat, according to authorities. Under the current plea agreement with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, she faces a 15-year prison sentence.
That sentence falls within the statutory range of 10 to 30 years that New Jersey law sets for first-degree aggravated manslaughter convictions, according to legal guidance from Keith Oliver Criminal Law. Under the plea agreement with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, Glass faces a 15-year prison sentence.
A Dangerous Stretch of Highway
The stretch of Route 322 running through Hamilton Township has drawn repeated scrutiny for fatal crashes. The Black Horse Pike runs through Atlantic County.
The corridor's dangers have continued to draw attention well beyond Pacheco's case. Hoodline reported this month on a separate fatal rollover crash along the Black Horse Pike in Monroe Township.
