Driver Reaches 119 MPH in Corvette ZR1 Before Splitting Another Car in Two, Jury Delivers Guilty Verdict

A jury verdict underscores the deadly consequences of extreme speed on public roads as a New Jersey driver is found guilty in a fatal crash. Gabriel H. Woolson, 26, of Williamstown, drove a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when investigators say the car reached 119 mph about three seconds before impact on South Black Horse Pike in Monroe in December 2022. He did not brake until roughly one second before the collision, at about 5:40 p.m. The victim, 52-year-old Evan Silverstein of Marlton, was driving a Honda Accord and had begun a left turn when Woolson’s westbound Corvette struck him, splitting the Accord into two pieces. Silverstein was ejected and died at the scene, while a passenger in Woolson’s car sustained injuries. The verdict drew on eyewitness testimony and expert analyses of speed and braking dynamics.

On Tuesday, a Gloucester County jury found Woolson guilty of death by auto, with the judge also convicting him of reckless driving and speeding. Sentencing is set for August 21, carrying a maximum term of 10 years in state prison on the second-degree count. Prosecutors outlined the three-second sequence at 119 mph, which covered roughly 175 feet before impact and left little margin to react. The case, which began in December 2022, spotlighted the capabilities—and dangers—of high-performance street cars on ordinary roads. Woolson faces prison time while Silverstein’s family continues to mourn.