Bail at $750,000 for suspect in fatal Route 80 crash

The Mountain Lakes man accused of causing a horrific Rockaway Township crash which resulted in the deaths of a man, woman and baby in another car remained in the Morris County Jail Monday afternoon and had his bail raised to $750,000, according to jail officials.

The New Jersey State Police arrested and charged Bhavuk Uppal, 22, of Mountain Lakes with causing the chain-reaction crash on westbound Route 80 that killed three people, identified only as driver John Doe, front passenger Jane Doe and rear seat passenger Baby Doe. They were pronounced dead at the scene at 4 a.m. Saturday, according to a State Police report.

Two Bronx, New York, men injured the crash were released later that day from Morristown Medical Center, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Uppal was jailed Saturday on $300,000 bail, which was raised to $750,000 after a bail hearing in Morris County Superior Court on Monday, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. He has been charged with DWI and multiple counts of death by auto.

According to the preliminary investigation, K Santiago-Madera, 26, of the Bronx was stopped in traffic in a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the left-center lane of westbound Route 80 at milepost 34.7, near Exit 34B (Route 15) at 1:37 a.m. A 2004 Kia sedan also was stopped behind the Jeep.

According to the State Police report, Uppal was driving a 2014 Cadillac Escalade in the left-center lane when he struck the Kia, which then hit the Jeep, causing the Kia to become “fully engulfed” in flames. Uppal’s Cadillac ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned in a grass embankment while the Kia exploded into flames, killing the people inside.

Santiago-Madera and his passenger in the Jeep, Brandon Green, 32, also of the Bronx, were taken to Morristown Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The center confirmed their July 11 release on Monday.

Uppal also was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Uppal was then taken to Netcong Station of the State Police, where he was charged with three counts of death by auto, two counts of assault by auto, causing death or injury while driving with a suspended license, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while intoxicated.

Positive identification of the victims was still pending Monday afternoon.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.