NJ Pharma Exec Charged After 103 MPH Wrong-Way Crash Kills Olympic Swimmer

A New Jersey pharmaceutical executive is facing multiple charges, including aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide, after allegedly driving more than 100 mph in the wrong direction and causing a fatal head-on collision that killed a former Olympic swimmer, as reported by The New York Post.

Prosecutors say 47-year-old Brian Baldari drove his Cadillac CT5 Blackwing in the wrong direction down Route 70 in Lakewood for approximately two miles before colliding with 66-year-old Edwin Borja’s Mazda CX5 on March 23.

NJ pharma executive charged for driving 103 mph in wrong-way crash that killed Olympic swimmer https://t.co/hf18pOyJdE pic.twitter.com/lRbswAle2U

— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) August 15, 2025

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The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced the charges on Wednesday.

The crash occurred at around 5:50 a.m. Baldari’s vehicle struck Borja’s car head-on before hitting six other vehicles. Responding officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department found Baldari’s Cadillac on fire with him trapped inside.

First responders pulled him from the vehicle, and he was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center before being transferred to Weill Cornell Medicine Burn Center in New York City.

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Borja, a former Filipino Olympic swimmer, was also airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He died from his injuries 11 days later. A third driver was injured in the crash, treated at Ocean University Medical Center, and later released.

NJ pharma exec in luxury Cadillac charged in deadly 100-mph wrong-way crash https://t.co/oSeZYKKpD8 @nj1015

— New Jersey 101.5 (@nj1015) August 14, 2025

According to investigators, Baldari’s vehicle reached speeds of up to 103 mph. Following a months-long investigation, prosecutors charged him with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and assault by auto. If convicted, he faces up to 50 years in prison.

Baldari surrendered to Lakewood police on Wednesday and was booked into the Ocean County Jail, where he will remain pending a detention hearing, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

Baldari’s LinkedIn profile describes him as an “award-winning” and “seasoned Biopharmaceutical Executive” with more than a decade of industry experience, claiming a record of launching 14 blockbuster brands.

A Rutgers University graduate, he is currently employed as Vice President of Franchise Portfolio Management-Cardiometabolics, Ophthalmology, and Respiratory at Azurity Pharmaceuticals in North Carolina.

FATAL CRASH: A Brick man is facing charges after a deadly head-on crash led to a multicar pile-up in #Lakewood earlier this year. Prosecutors say Brian Baldari was driving over 100 miles per hour the wrong way on Route 70. – https://t.co/eBpeKfwl9A pic.twitter.com/QJhEH6fSHz

— News12NJ (@News12NJ) August 14, 2025

Borja, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines with his family in 1971, competed for the Philippines at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

His events included the 1,500-meter freestyle, 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay, 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, and 400-meter individual medley.

Borja earned his degree from La Salle University in Pennsylvania and worked as a controller for Dana Companies. He was active in Saint Andrew Catholic Church, sang in the choir, and enjoyed bowling. He is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

His wife, Marieta Espe Borja, died in 2019.

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