More than 16 years after a fatal crash on the Garden State Parkway, a New York man has pleaded guilty in connection with the death of a 26-year-old passenger.

Chaudhry Yousaf, 52, whose last known address was in Valley Stream, NY, pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025, to Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide before Judge Dina M. Vicari in Ocean County Superior Court.

The plea stems from a tragic motor vehicle crash that occurred on March 28, 2009, at milepost 77 on the Garden State Parkway, in which Harris Kahn, 26, of Queens, NY, sustained critical injuries and later died. At sentencing, scheduled for September 12, 2025, prosecutors will recommend a five-year New Jersey State Prison term.

According to the New Jersey State Police, Yousaf was driving a black Lincoln Town Car southbound on the Parkway with two passengers — Kahn and Kishwa Jahan, 32, of Queens Village — when he lost control, struck a roadway sign, veered into the woods, and crashed into a tree.

Troopers on scene observed signs of intoxication, and Yousaf was charged with DUI. He and Ms. Jahan were treated for minor injuries, while Mr. Kahn was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious injuries. He passed away the following day, March 29, 2009.

Yousaf was charged with Vehicular Homicide and taken into custody. After posting $150,000 bail on March 30, 2009, he was released — but failed to appear in court in February 2010, prompting a bench warrant for his arrest. He remained a fugitive for nearly 15 years.

That changed on December 24, 2024, when the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Yousaf at JFK International Airport. He was extradited to New Jersey on December 27, and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since.