Girlfriend of accused NJ drag racer in fatal Parkway crash painted as ‘sweet kid,’ not criminal

Prosecutors say couple fled a deadly Garden State Parkway racing crash that killed a 20-year-old passenger

⚖️ Girlfriend’s lawyer claims she was a “sweet kid” who ran for help, not a criminal trying to hide

Driver faces manslaughter and homicide charges, while mother accused of helping him flee to Miami

A young woman who fled from a deadly Garden State Parkway crash with her boyfriend was just a disoriented passenger who tried to get help, her lawyer says.

Deadly crash on the Garden State Parkway

State Police and Middlesex County prosecutors said a BMW X3 SUV and BMW M5 sedan were racing south on the Parkway near the New Jersey Turnpike just after 7 p.m. on June 29.

The X3 driven by Alvi Limani, 20, struck two vehicles, causing it to overturn several times and eject two passengers, including Albion Hysenaj, 20, who died at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick, officials said.

The crash also ejected a 21-year-old. Both victims are from Staten Island.

Limani and his then-girlfriend, Emily Harrington, ran from the scene, officials said.

Charges filed against the suspects

Limani and the driver of the M5, Jeter Ogando, 23, of Perth Amboy, are charged with assault by auto, aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide, while Harrington is charged with hindering, obstruction and conspiracy to endanger.

Limani wound up in Miami in an effort to leave the country with help from his mother, Vilma Vneshta, 42, who is charged with hindering, according to Middlesex County prosecutors. Limani and Vneshta were arrested on July 17 and have been extradited to New Jersey.

EYE ON CRIME: Latest public safety & justice news in New Jersey

Girlfriend’s lawyer: She was a ‘sweet kid’ trying to get help

Harrington's attorney Brett Rosen told the Staten Island Advance that his client, who he described as a "sweet 19-year-old kid," ran to a nearby apartment complex after the crash, screaming and pounding on doors looking for help.

Harrington wound up in a hospital but Rosen would not disclose the details to the Staten Island Advance. She is charged with third-degree hindering, fourth-degree obstruction and fourth-degree conspiracy to endanger another.

Rosen said he believes Limani was with Harrington.

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