Woman Sentenced For Crash That Killed Berkeley Man: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — A Virginia woman was sentenced to New Jersey State Prison in connection with a 2020 Garden State Parkway crash that killed a Berkeley man and injured another, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Michelle Roselli, 36, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia was sentenced to six years in prison for her guilty plea to vehicular homicide in the Jan. 26, 2020 Garden State Parkway crash that killed Tri Nguyen, 66, of Berkeley, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

This sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Roselli will serve at least 85 percent of her sentence before being eligible for parole.

She was also sentenced to five years in prison for assault by auto, as Thuy Duong, 51, also of Berkeley was seriously injured in the same crash.

Finally, Roselli was sentenced to time served for driving under the influence. Investigation found that she was high on fentanyl at the time of the crash, Billhimer said. She also had driving privileges suspended for one year. Sentences are to run concurrently.

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2020, State Police responded to mile marker 64 southbound on the Parkway for a report of a serious motor vehicle crash, Billhimer said.

Roselli, driving a 2012 Honda Civic, failed to maintain her lane and struck a 2001 Toyota Scion driven by Kathy Nguyen, 32, of Bayville, Billhimer said.

A juvenile was in the front passenger seat of Scion, while Nguyen and Duong were in the back, Billhimer said.

The collision caused the Scion to veer off the roadway and into a wooded area, where it struck several trees, Billhimer said.

All four passengers were taken to Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, he said.

Kathy Nguyen and the juvenile were treated and released, but Nguyen and Duong had to be airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Pomona, Billhimer said.

Nguyen died from his injuries on Feb. 22, 2020, Billhimer said. Duong was taken to a rehabiliation facility and later released.

Roselli appeared to be intoxicated at the scene of the crash and failed the standardized field sobriety tests, Billhimer said. She was then charged with driving under the influence.

She was also taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center where a search warrant was obtained for a draw of her blood, according to officials.

This draw revealed that Roselli had 8.6 nanograms of fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash, rendering her unfit to drive, Billhimer said.

That, along with Nguyen's death, lead to Roselli's charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto on March 13, 2020, Billhimer said.

She surrendered herself to the New Jersey State Police Barracks in Galloway on March 20, 2020 and was transferred to the Ocean County Jail. Though originally released due to bail reform, Roselli was charged with an offense in another state and her release was revoked. She was extradited to New Jersey on Feb. 28, 2023, and has sat in Ocean County Jail since.