A Paterson woman has pleaded guilty to causing the death of an 80-year-old man and injuring another in a crash in North Brunswick in 2018.
Elizabeth Gomez, 43, of Paterson, the operator of the car, pleaded guilty on Dec. 23 to second degree vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated, according to information provided by Middlesex County Acting Prosecutor Christopher L.C. Kuberiet.
Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Keith Abrams, Gomez will be sentenced to a prison term of up to 10 years for causing the crash on Route 1 that killed Wen-Fu Lin, 80, of East Brunswick, and injured a 47-year-old male passenger in the victim’s car shortly after midnight on Sept. 22, 2018.
This term is subject to the No Early Release Act. As such, the defendant will have to serve 85 percent of her prison term before becoming eligible for parole, according to the statement.
In addition, Gomez will be subject to a loss of license upon her release from prison, ranging from 5 years to life, to be determined at sentencing.
Gomez was charged as a result of an investigation by Officer Jason Zier of the North Brunswick Police Department and Detective David Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation determined that Gomez, who was intoxicated, was driving a 2007 BMW X3 on Route 1 near Fashion Plaza Drive when she ran a red light and crashed into a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, causing the death of the driver and injuring his passenger, according to the statement.
Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Colleen M. Flynn on March 4.
