FLEMINGTON – An online petition is calling on a Superior Court judge to sentence a Readington man to a term in state prison, instead of probation, after he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide.

By 4 p.m. Monday, more than, 2,800 people had signed the petition, Justice for Bill, on change.org asking Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski to sentence Christopher Rafano, 40, in an ATV accident in Clinton Township in July that claimed the life of 34-year-old Califon resident William Hildebrant.

Rafano pleaded guilty to the third-degree charge without the case going to a grand jury. The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office recommended that Rafano, when he is sentenced on Oct. 25, receive a probationary term.

Third-degree crimes in New Jersey carry a maximum penalty of five years in state prison.

The purpose of the petition is "to show the presiding judge that probation is not the correct punishment nor a harsh enough deterrent" for the incident.

"We are petitioning the honorable judge to make sure Rafano does time in jail for his crimes," the petition states. "We want to send a message that you can not cause the death of another human being and only receive probation."

The goal of the petition, started on Saturday, is to gather 5,000 signatures.

EARLIER: NJ man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide in Clinton Township ATV crash

Hildebrant died following the crash on Kiceniuk Road at about 9:21 p.m. July 28. He was one of three passengers on the ATV driven by Rafano. The passengers and Rafano were all not wearing helmets, according to police reports.

Rafano, who police say was under the influence of alcohol, was driving the ATV west on the road when he hit a dip in the road by a sewer grate and Hildebrant was thrown off the ATV, police reports stated.

Hildebrant, who was sitting on the right rear of the ATV, landed on the roadway. He was moved to the side of the road before officers arrived, according to police.

Hildebrant was flown by NorthStar helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he died the following day.

An autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt trauma to the head.

Rafano drove the ATV from the scene before police arrived, according to charging documents.

The two other passengers – Melissa Murphy, of Readington, and Alison Ward of Clinton Township – were not injured in the accident, police said.

In addition to vehicular homicide, Rafano was charged with careless driving, reckless driving, driving an uninsured vehicle, failing to report an accident, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving an ATV on the street, allowing passengers to ride on the ATV and driving an unsafe vehicle.

Police also say the ATV, a 2019 Polaris, was not approved for use on the road.

Rafano’s blood and urine were collected for an alcohol and drug analysis, according to the documents, and the ATV was towed and impounded.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office and township police initially did not disclose the accident involved a fatality and did not release Hildebrant's identity.

Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com