An Absecon man jailed in a fatal hit-and-run may have intentionally caused the crash, according to upgraded charges.
"Somebody is chasing me on Wrangleboro Road, wanting me to put my window down," Janel Bembry said in a 911 call April 20, shortly before her car was rear-ended and pushed into oncoming traffic, according to the affidavit obtained by BreakingAC.
Bembry, 48, of Galloway Township, died from her injuries.
Keneet Camacho, 38, was originally charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash, driving while intoxicated and being an unlicensed driver.
But his charges now include aggravated manslaughter and assault by auto after a witness came forward saying she saw a confrontation between the two drivers before the fatal crash.
Bembry's Hyundai Elantra and Camacho's Toyota Highlander were parked in the lot at Giovanni's on East Collins Road, the woman told police, according to the affidavit signed four days after the crash.
Bembry was sitting in her vehicle with a man standing outside her window, yelling and waving his finger, the report states. He appeared mad, the unnamed witness said.
The witness then drove with the two vehicles and saw the Toyota force the Hyundai off the road.
The woman told police she passed the two vehicles as they got back on the road, with the Toyota chasing the Hyundai.
Bembry's call to 911 seems to back that account.
"Somebody is chasing me on Wrangleboro Road, wanting me to put my window down," she said. "He's trying to crash my car. He's in a Toyota black truck. He's trying to crash my car."
The call then went silent.
The crash pushed Bembry's car into oncoming traffic, where she struck a vehicle head-on driven by Gail Schifris.
Schifris, 61, was hospitalized with a broken ankle and broken ribs, which required surgery, according to the affidavit.
Camacho told police he didn't remember the crash or where he was heading.
He told police he had five or six shots of tequila between 10 the night before and 2 that morning.The crash happened just before 8 a.m.
Camacho was taken to the hospital, and had his blood tested. The blood-alcohol content result is not detailed in the affidavit.
The Peru native told police he has been in the state since 2005, when he came on a work visa. His non-driver's license identification was expired, according to the affidavit.
Camacho told police he never had a driver's license, and was cited for driving without one about three years ago.He is currently in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Note: The Atlantic County Justice Facility no longer provides mugshots to the media, citing the Atlantic County prosecutor’s order. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office says it’s part of the Attorney General’s Guidelines. There is no such guideline, according to the Attorney General’s Office, but they have told these offices for years that they should not release any photos that appear to be mugshots.
