Pharma Exec Charged With Wrong-Way Crash That Reportedly Killed Olympic Swimmer

A pharmaceutical executive was charged Wednesday with vehicular homicide for reportedly driving the wrong way and striking a former Olympic swimmer in a deadly crash.

Officials charged Brian Baldari with vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter and assault by auto in connection with a March 7 car crash that killed Edwin Borja, according to an Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office recent press release. Baldari was allegedly driving westbound in the Route 70’s eastbound lane of Route 70 at a speed of roughly 103 miles per hour.

Borja was a former Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics at 14 and later the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the New York Post reported. He immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1971 and graduated from La Salle University.

Baldari collided with Borja and then struck other vehicles, prosecutors said. Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to the scene of the alleged crash at around 5:50 a.m. and determined eight vehicles were involved in the incident.

Baldari’s vehicle burst into flames following the crash, trapping him within, according to the release. Officers extracted the executive from his vehicle and airlifted him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC). Baldari was later transferred to Weill Cornell Medicine Burn Center in New York City. Borja was also airlifted to JSUMC and died from his injuries on March 18.

NJ pharma executive charged for driving 103 mph in wrong-way crash that killed Olympic swimmer https://t.co/0sxfWCW1wC pic.twitter.com/BhOk42fNx4

— New York Post (@nypost) August 15, 2025

Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said Baldari surrendered himself in connection with the crash and was in the Ocean County Jail “pending a detention hearing,” the release noted. (RELATED: Feds Charge Man With Cyberstalking United Healthcare CEO’s Family)

Baldari labeled himself an award-winning pharmaceutical executive, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was most recently an executive at Azurity Pharmaceuticals in Raleigh, North Carolina. He previously worked at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies and Novartis.

Baldari faces as much as 50 years in prison if convicted, the Post reported.