By: Richard L. Smith
An 18-year-old Belle Mead resident has been charged in connection with a fatal crash that claimed the life of a Bridgewater woman Monday morning in Raritan, according to information released by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.r
Authorities said the collision occurred at approximately 6:29 a.m. on July 27 at the intersection of Route 202 and First Avenue.
A preliminary investigation determined that Siddartha Prasad Surapanani was driving a Genesis SUV when he allegedly drove through a red light and crashed into the driver’s side of an Acura SUV.
The female driver of the Acura, a Bridgewater resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not yet been released.
Investigators said Surapanani fled the crash scene on foot but was quickly apprehended by officers from the Raritan Police Department. He was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
The investigation also revealed multiple reports of Surapanani allegedly driving erratically before the crash, including traveling in the wrong direction on Route 202 at times, according to prosecutors.
The Somerset County Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Raritan Police Department, and the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded to investigate the fatal crash.
Surapanani has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide. Prosecutors said he was served with the complaint while hospitalized and will be lodged in the Somerset County Jail upon his release from the hospital pending a court appearance.