The girl was a 17-year-old Robbinsville High School student when she struck Mayer early in the morning April 19 as he jogged with his dog.
ROBBINSVILLE -- The teenage girl who fatally struck Robbinsville Schools Superintendent Steven Mayer in April has been charged with death by auto and related charges, including using a cell phone while driving, authorities announced.
The girl was a 17-year-old Robbinsville High School student when she struck Mayer early in the morning April 19 as he jogged with his dog on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road.
The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday morning they have charged her with causing Mayer's death while operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner, specifically by talking on a cell phone at or about the time of impact.
The girl then left the scene knowing the crash occurred, the prosecutor's office said in an announcement.
The girl is now 18, but the prosecutor's office withheld her identity since she was a juvenile at the time of the crash.
In addition to death by auto, the girl is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, both second-degree crimes.
She was issued reckless driving, improper use of a cell phone while driving and leaving the scene of an accident citations as well, the prosecutor's office said.
Mayer, who has been Robbinsville's superintendent since 2009, was a resident of the township and lived near the high school, not far from where he was killed. He had three children.
N.J. superintendent's legacy will live on
News of his death hit the small Mercer County community hard and he was widely mourned by school and local officials as a dedicated educator, natural leader and family man.
Thousands packed a memorial service for the 52-year-old Mayer on April 22. His wife, Donna, a teacher in the Robbinsville School District, spoke through tears at the April
"Steve was a light everywhere he went -- his smile, his exuberance, his love, his compassion -- and what I visualize is pieces of my beloved husband all over this world."
Shortly after the crash, sources told NJ Advance Media that the female driver was a senior at the township's high school and was driving to the school for a class trip early that morning.
The sources said the girl was running late, trying to catch a bus for the trip to New York City.
In April, the prosecutor's office, while the investigation was ongoing, said the girl called 911 from Pond Road Middle School - which is next to the high school - and reported to police she thought she hit someone on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road.
Both the girl and Mayer were heading north on the road, and Mayer and his dog were struck just north of the Pond Road intersection. They were both dead at the scene.
The prosecutor's office said Thursday that their Serious Collision Response Team and Robbinsville police officers conducted a comprehensive investigation of the the incident, including reviewing witness statements and physical evidence, as well as reconstructing the crash.
The case will be heard in Mercer County Family Court before a Superior Court judge, but no hearing dates have been scheduled.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.