Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced that a Union City man has pleaded guilty in the head-on collision on Paterson Plank Road in Jersey City that caused the death of Adriana Riano, 32, from North Bergen.
According to officials, on September 8, Jonathan Ortiz-Guananga, 27, pled guilty to one count of second-degree Death By Auto and one count of fourth-degree Assault by Auto related to the fatal crash that occurred on May 5, 2019, on Paterson Plank Road in Jersey City.
According to police, on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at approximately 7:15 a.m., Jersey City Police Officers were dispatched to Paterson Plank Road in Jersey City, just south of the Congress Street intersection, on a report of a motor vehicle collision.
Upon arrival, the responding officers discovered two vehicles were involved in a collision. The first vehicle was a 2008 Ford Edge operated by Riano containing a 30-year-old male passenger. The second vehicle was a 2015 Dodge Charger operated by Ortiz-Guananga of Union City.
Officials reported that all three individuals were transported by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center. Riano was pronounced dead at approximately 3:15 p.m. Her passenger was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Ortiz-Guananga was treated for injuries related to severe leg trauma.
Officials report that on June 27, 2019, at approximately 9:35 a.m., Jonathan Ortiz-Guananga was arrested without incident by members of the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and charged with Death by Auto and Assault by Auto.
He was also charged with violations of Title 39. The violations are Speeding, Driving While Intoxicated, Failure to Maintain a Marked Traffic Lane and Reckless Driving.
Ortiz-Guananga was subsequently indicted with the upgraded charge of Aggravated Manslaughter, which will be dismissed as a result of his plea at the time of sentencing. Sentencing for this case has been scheduled for October 29.