TRENTON, New Jersey — A New Jersey state grand jury has voted not to file any criminal charges against Woodbridge Police Officer Khari Manzini over a fatal crash that followed a late-night police pursuit on Route 1 in February, the state Attorney General's Office announced. The grand jury finished deliberating on Monday, November 9, 2026, and voted “no bill,” ending the criminal review of the officer's role in an encounter in which a juvenile passenger died and several other people were seriously injured.

Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General

The case goes back to shortly before midnight on February 19, 2026, in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County. According to the Attorney General's investigation, a Nissan Maxima driven by Mikael Salman, 18, of Iselin, allegedly travelled at a high speed southbound on Route 1. Officer Manzini, in a marked patrol vehicle, left a stationary position and attempted to catch up to the Nissan. The two vehicles travelled from Route 1 South onto residential streets and then re-entered Route 1 South.

Approximately one minute after re-entering Route 1 South, the Nissan collided with a second civilian vehicle in the area of Gill Lane. The juvenile passenger in the Nissan was pronounced deceased at 12:25 a.m. on February 20. Mr. Salman was hospitalised for treatment of injuries from the crash. The occupants of the second vehicle sustained serious injuries and were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment. The police vehicle was not directly involved in the collision. Investigators also found the body of a deceased dog inside the Nissan. The Attorney General's Office has not released the juvenile's identity, and Awaaz Punjab does not name minor victims.

What the grand jury reviewed — and decided

The encounter was investigated by the Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury under the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019. The investigation included a review of surveillance video footage, motor vehicle recorder footage, radio transmissions, autopsy reports, and interviews with law enforcement officers and civilian witnesses. Video footage of the events surrounding the crash was previously released by the Attorney General's Office.

Before deliberating, the grand jury was instructed on the elements of the potential criminal offences that could be brought, including criminal homicide offences, and — as required by statute — on self-defence and other forms of legal justification. After hearing the testimony and evidence, the jurors concluded that no criminal charges should be filed against Officer Manzini. A conflicts check conducted under the Independent Prosecutor Directive found no actual or potential conflict of interest involving anyone assigned to the investigation.

A separate case against the driver continues

The grand jury's decision concerns only the officer. In its earlier release identifying those involved, the Attorney General's Office said Mr. Salman had been charged by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office with alleged offences including aggravated manslaughter while eluding (first degree), vehicular homicide (second degree), multiple counts of aggravated assault, assault by auto, endangering the welfare of a child, eluding, and animal cruelty. The Attorney General stressed that those charges are merely accusations, that the criminal investigation into them is ongoing, and that Mr. Salman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General — identities release

Why the Attorney General — not local prosecutors — handled this review

A 2019 New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General's Office to investigate the death of a person — and, in certain circumstances, serious bodily injury — that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity or while a person is in custody. Every such investigation must be presented to a grand jury to determine whether the evidence supports an indictment of the officer involved. The rule exists so that fatal police encounters are reviewed independently of the local department and prosecutor's office that work with the officer day to day.

What happens next

The criminal review of Officer Manzini is closed, but an administrative review may still follow. Under the Independent Prosecutor Directive, the Division of Criminal Justice now determines whether any principal should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for administrative review under the Attorney General's Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures; the Division monitors any resulting review to ensure it is completed in a timely fashion. Separately, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's case against Mr. Salman continues through the courts. The Attorney General's Office said no further information is being released about the grand jury presentation at this time.

For readers in Woodbridge, Iselin and the wider Middlesex County corridor — home to one of New Jersey's largest South Asian and Punjabi communities, with the Oak Tree Road commercial district a short drive from the crash area — the case has been followed closely since February, both for the young life lost and for what it says about how high-speed pursuits on crowded corridors like Route 1 are reviewed. Monday's decision answers the criminal question about the officer; the court case arising from the crash itself is still to come.