Ocean County Man Who Struck Pedestrian, Drove With Him In Windshield Gets 7 Years In State Prison

by Patricia A. Miller

A Little Egg Harbor man who drove drunk, struck a Lanoka Harbor man and drove 1.5 miles with him stuck in his windshield was sentenced to seven years in state prison today, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Ocean County Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski also sentenced Marcos A. Ortega 34 to three additional years of supervised parole on the charge of second-degree vehicular homicide in the death of Kenneth Moeller, 61, spokesperson Al Della Fave said.

Moeller died on Nov. 17 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, one week after the horrific incident that shocked many in Southern Ocean County.

Waretown police received a call of an erratic driver traveling northbound on Route 9 at roughly 6:39 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2014. Patrolman Kyle Flatt spotted the vehicle heading north on Main Street, with what appeared to be a person lying on the hood of the vehicle, Della Fave said.

When Flatt stopped Ortega near Dolphin Way, he spotted a person halfway through the windshield, Della Fave said.

The Waretown Volunteer Fire Department and first aid squad extricated Moeller from the vehicle. He was then flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition until his death, he said.

The preliminary investigation by the Ocean Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Ortega was traveling northbound on Route 9 just north of South Main Street, when he allegedly crossed into the northbound shoulder, where he struck Moeller.

“Ortega continued operating the vehicle for approximately 1.5 miles before being located and stopped by Patrolman Flatt,“ Della Fave said.

Ocean Township Police conducted field sobriety tests on Ortega at the scene which determined that Ortega was impaired. A telephonic search warrant was obtained and samples of Ortega’s blood were collected for analysis. The subsequent investigation was conducted by the Ocean Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit, Detective Bureau, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI.
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