WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY — A tractor-trailer driver accused of intentionally ramming another semi on the New Jersey Turnpike — and then laughing as he drove away, according to investigators — was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday in connection with the fatal crash that killed Osman Aden.

Authorities said Joseph M. Nyandwaro, 41, of Pearland, Texas, was driving north on the Turnpike on June 22, 2025, when he struck a tractor-trailer driven by Aden, 40, of Minnesota. Investigators said the impact sent Aden’s truck into a left concrete barrier and then into several trees, and Aden later died from his injuries.

Prosecutors said witnesses reported Nyandwaro repeatedly blocked Aden from passing before the collision. Investigators also said video recovered from inside Nyandwaro’s truck showed him laughing after ramming the other vehicle. Authorities said dash camera video from the victim’s truck and witness statements helped identify Nyandwaro’s vehicle, and the trucking company that owned Nyandwaro’s truck later turned over video showing both the roadway ahead and the driver.

Investigators said Nyandwaro did not stop at the crash scene, and later tried to conceal damage from the collision. Prosecutors also said he initially lied to his employer, claiming he wasn’t involved and that the truck wasn’t damaged. In the days after the crash, police previously said they located evidence consistent with an attempted cleanup, including remnants of the victim’s paint color on Nyandwaro’s truck and allegations that he used duct tape and cleaning solution to hide damage.

Nyandwaro was indicted by a grand jury in September on second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal crash, and fourth-degree tampering with evidence, authorities said. He later pleaded guilty in December to second-degree reckless vehicular homicide. Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend the six-year sentence and said Nyandwaro must serve 85% of the term before becoming eligible for parole. Superior Court Judge William Ziegler sentenced him in accordance with that agreement.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.