TOMS RIVER — A New York man who evaded authorities for more than a decade has pleaded guilty to a fatal 2009 crash on the Garden State Parkway, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Chaudhry Yousaf, 52, of Valley Stream, New York, admitted to strict liability vehicular homicide before Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari in connection with the death of Harris Kahn, 26, of Queens. Prosecutors will seek a five-year state prison sentence at Yousaf’s Sept. 12 hearing.
The crash occurred March 28, 2009, near milepost 77 in Berkeley Township. Authorities said Yousaf was driving a Lincoln Town Car southbound when he lost control, hit a sign, veered into woods and struck a tree. Kahn died from his injuries the following day. Another passenger survived.
Yousaf, who appeared intoxicated, was arrested and charged at the scene. He was released after posting $150,000 bail but failed to appear in court in 2010. A bench warrant was issued and he remained a fugitive until December 2024, when he was arrested at JFK Airport by U.S. Marshals.
He has been held at the Ocean County Jail since his extradition.
Billhimer credited multiple law enforcement agencies for Yousaf’s capture and prosecution.
