Woman Was On Drugs In Crash That Killed Berkeley Man: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — A Virginia woman pleaded guilty to several charges, including driving under the influence, 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, pleaded guilty on April 26 to vehicular homicide, assault by auto and driving under the influence, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

The crash killed Tri Nguyen, 66, of Berkeley, and seriously injured Thuy Duong, 51, also of Berkeley, Billhimer said.

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, while Duong remains in a rehabilitation facility recovering.

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, was transferred to the Ocean County Jail and then released due to bail reform.

At the time of her sentencing on July 14, Roselli faces a term of six years on the vehicular homicide charge and five years on the assault by auto charge, to run cocurrently.