Three men were seriously injured in a car accident that police believe resulted from a high-speed race in Morris County recently.

According to authorities at the Butler Police Department, they were notified of the car accident at approximately 11:50 p.m. on Friday, July 29. The accident in question occurred in front of the Route 23 Automall on Route 23 in Butler.

Upon arriving at the scene, responding officers discovered a single vehicle that was on fire, as well as three men who were lying on the road after being thrown from the vehicle. Two of the men were transported to Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown via ambulance, while the other was transported via helicopter to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson because of the severity of his injuries.

The three men were subsequently identified as 20-year-old Vernon resident Timothy Runo, who was driving at the time of the crash, and his passengers, 20-year-old Christopher Boes and 20-year-old Shane Lepore, both of whom are from West Milford.

Both Lepore and Runo were released from the hospital after receiving treatment, but Boes was still in critical condition as of Wednesday morning. Runo is facing criminal charges, the degree of which are contingent upon the extent of Boes’ injuries.

Officials are currently conducting an investigation of the accident, but according to witnesses, the vehicle that crashed was racing another vehicle before the accident occurred. The driver reportedly lost control during the high-speed race, resulting in the crash that followed, and the three occupants being ejected from the vehicle.

In addition to the pending criminal charges, Runo may also be subject to civil litigation in the form of a personal injury lawsuit. If he was racing at the time of the accident, he may be deemed negligent and held liable for the injuries sustained by his passengers.

For additional information pertaining to this incident, access the following article: 3 ejected in fiery Route 23 crash in Butler ID’d