Ocean County Man Gets 6 Years In Hit-And-Run That Killed Man Giving Away Furniture

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester man has been sentenced to six years in prison in a fatal hit-and-run in April 2021, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

Kevin Noonan, 63, of Manchester, was sentenced to prison on the charge of knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death by Superior Court Judge Lisa A. Puglisi. Puglisi also suspended Noonan's driving privileges for two years on that charge, and for an additional year on a charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in injury or death, along with a $2,500 fine, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Noonan had pleaded guilty on Feb. 14 to the charges in connection with the April 13, 2021, death of Jack Gotfried, 69, of Whiting.

Noonan had stopped at Gotfried's home on Yorktowne Parkway in Whiting to pick up furniture Gotfried was giving away, authorities said.

In the process of loading the furniture onto Noonan's vehicle, Noonan backed up at what authorities said was "a high rate of speed" and hit Gotfried, pinning him between the back of Noonan's vehicle and a truck that was parked in front of Gotfried's house. Noonan then took off, leaving Gotfried lying in the road with traumatic injuries. Gotfried was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune but succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.

Authorities later found Noonan walking along Western Boulevard in Lacey, and he was arrested by a detective from the prosecutor's office, Billhimer said. He has been held at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.

Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Robert Cassidy and Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni who handled the case on behalf of the state. The Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Manchester Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit investigated.

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