Somerset County officials reported that they filed a criminal Complaint and arrested Jaden Brandon Ramos, 20, of Old Bridge Township.
Police charged Ramos with second-degree reckless vehicular homicide and fourth-degree assault-by-auto from a fatal motor vehicle collision that occurred on Friday, July 22.
Prosecutor McDonald stated on Friday, July 22, 2022, at approximately 4:07 p.m. Hillsborough Township Police and medical personnel were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision with injuries that occurred in the area of Amwell Road and Cemetery Lane in the Neshanic section of Hillsborough Township.
Responding Officers found a black 2016 Mercedes Benz at final rest facing southeast in the westbound lane with extensive front-end collision damages.
Police said the driver of the Mercedes, identified as a male adult Flemington resident, sustained severe left leg injuries and was transported to an area trauma center.
According to police, the lone passenger in the Mercedes, a 74-year-old female Flemington resident, was also transported to an area trauma center. She was later pronounced deceased at 5:49 p.m. from injuries sustained in the collision.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that the second vehicle involved in the fatal collision, a blue 2007 Dodge Charger, was located approximately thirty feet off the westbound side of Amwell Road with extensive front-end damage.
The lone driver of the Dodge Charger, identified as defendant Ramos, was conscious and alert and was also transported to an area trauma center with complaints of hip pain.
Prosecutor McDonald stated Hillsborough Township Police, in conjunction with the County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction (C.A.R.) Team conducted an investigation and determined that defendant Ramos had been proceeding eastbound on Amwell Road when he attempted to pass another eastbound vehicle in a no-passing zone and into oncoming westbound traffic when he collided head-on with the Mercedes Benz traveling west.
Police identified two witnesses at the scene who opined that Ramos’ Dodge Charger was traveling well above the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour and in the westbound lane at the time of the fatal collision.
Additional forensic evidence analyzed by the CAR-Team indicated that Ramos’ Dodge Charger traveled approximately between 65 to 67 m.p.h. at the time of impact with the Mercedes.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that, if convicted of the second-degree charge, defendant Ramos could be sentenced to between five and ten years in State Prison with 85 % to be served without parole eligibility under the No Early Release Act.
If convicted of the fourth-degree assault charge, defendant Ramos is subject to an additional eighteen months of incarceration.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at approximately 8:56 a.m., defendant Ramos surrendered voluntarily without incident to Hillsborough Township Police at Police Headquarters.
Officials said Defendant Ramos was lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.