Montville Man Gets 5 Years for Crash That Killed Friend

Michael Yodice of Montville was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for reckless manslaughter and eluding police in connection with the death of his friend, who authorities said hopped on Yodice's motorcycle after robbing a 7-Eleven on Changebridge Road before they crashed, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Yodice crashed the motorcycle at a curve on Changebridge Road after leading Montville police on a half-mile chase that reached speeds of 80 mph. The crash killed Yodice's friend of at least 10 years, 21-year-old Pine Brook resident Christopher Viellee, authorities said.

Yodice's defense attorney said a day of drinking and cocaine use preceded the crash, and Yodice told Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz he was sorry for the choices he made that night, according to a Daily Record report.

The incident occurred around 1:40 a.m. on Sept. 9, 2010.