HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey announced Monday that a driver involved in a school bus crash that killed one teen and severely injured another in September 2025 has been sentenced to three years in prison.
John Anthony Gaeta, 39, was found guilty of criminally negligent manslaughter on June 26.
On September 18, 2025, 17-year-old Zachary Griffin was stopped on northbound Route 543, attempting to make a left turn onto Crescent Knoll Drive. At the time, 16-year-old Blake Elliott was in the passenger seat.
Related: Man indicted on negligent vehicular manslaughter for crash that led to teen's death
Investigators found that Gaeta was driving northbound on Route 543 and failed to avoid colliding with Griffin's car, pushing it into the southbound lane where it was then struck by a school bus.
Griffin and Elliott were trapped in the car following the collision. Authorities extricated Griffin first and took him to Shock Trauma, where he would eventually spend 11 days recovering from serious injuries.
Elliott was taken by ambulance to an area medical center, where she later died.
More: Harford County mourns 16-Year-Old killed in tragic crash, 17-year-old injured
Harford County Crash Team investigators found there was no pre-impact braking from Gaeta. In the five seconds before the collision, he did not use his brakes or steer his vehicle whatsoever.
Phone records show that Gaeta began using his phone after leaving work that afternoon at the Arena Club, using three apps: Her A.I., Instagram, and Chess.com.
Police say he used these apps for the entire drive until 38 seconds before the collision, when the last app closed. His phone was also still unlocked with the screen illuminated at the time of the crash.
Read: Phone records show driver used apps before crash that killed C. Milton Wright Student
During sentencing on Monday, victim impact statements were given by Griffin and his mother, along with Elliott's parents, sister, and two aunts.
Elliott is remembered as a "cherished young member of the Harford County community."
A statement from State's Attorney Healey can be read below:
I want to commend and express significant gratitude to Deputy State’s Attorney David Ryden and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney H. Scott Lewis for their advocacy in this case, well as all the members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office involved in investigating this case, especially Senior Deputy Pilachowski and Digital Forensic Examiners Megan Waltimyer and Heather Marsh.
In addition, all of the first responders who responded to this scene, including members of Harford County Emergency Medical Services, Maryland State Police Aviation and Trooper One, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Bel Air Police Department, and the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company are to be commended for their professionalism and the immense amount of care and compassion provided to Blake and Zach in the most tragic moments of their lives - moments they should never have had to experience – and in doing so, were able to save one life and did all that they could to try to save Blake’s life, but unfortunately, her injuries were too severe in that they were essentially instantaneously fatal.
As State’s Attorney, I have consistently emphasized that my focus and commitment is to the public safety of Harford County. I cannot stress enough how incredibly dangerous distracted driving is, especially with the continuing evolution of technology in our society. When the evidence of an investigation of a collision demonstrates the significant amount of negligence and distraction in which this Defendant engaged, and a life is taken, those offenders will be held accountable in Harford County because that is a choice to put our community at risk, and it will not be tolerated.
This maximum sentence is a swift and certain message to those driving on the roads of Harford County to get off your cell phones and avoid other distractions while you are driving, but the allowable consequences in this case are simply not enough. When you are driving distracted, you are putting people’s lives at risk – the other drivers on the roads and your own. People’s lives are not worth whatever is happening on your phone, just like Blake’s life was certainly worth far more than the Defendant’s virtual girlfriend, Instagram story, and chess game.
No sentence obtained in this case would ever be enough to compensate for the loss of Blake Elliott and the amazing young lady she was, but today, in the Circuit Court for Harford County, we were able to get some justice for Blake and her family. I can in no way say that this is absolutely justice because no parent should stand in a courtroom and hear that their daughter’s life can only be punished by 3 years. It’s simply not enough. There is no question about that.
But it’s not enough because our current laws related to negligence while operating a motor vehicle that results in a death need serious reconsideration and amendment. This is the most punishment that this law will permit – it’s not a choice we make. It’s a choice that the legislature makes. The language in these statutes is far too vague. They do not address distracted driving resulting in death. They do not address criminal and gross negligence that results in life-threatening injury, and most importantly, the maximum sentences are far too lenient.
I have already begun work with Delegate Mike Griffith to begin work to try to address these concerns with the Maryland General Assembly during the next legislative session. I can only hope they will seriously consider the severe deficiencies in these laws, but I can assure you
I will be fighting hard for those changes.
