Middletown Woman Admits To Drunk, High Crash That Killed Friend

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A 20-year-old woman from Middletown pleaded guilty Thursday to a fatal crash that occurred on the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge, a crash where police say she was driving drunk and high and caused the death of her 18-year old friend. A third young woman in the car was also seriously injured.

All the young women were local to Middletown, and had graduated from local high schools. In fact, the teen who died, Nicole Smith, had just graduated from Middletown North this past June.

The driver, Kimberly Franklin, 20, of Middletown, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, assault by auto and driving while intoxicated, said the Middlesex County prosecutor.

She will be sentenced to a prison term of 10 years, and must serve 85 percent of her term before becoming eligible for parole.

The tragic crash occurred in the early morning hours of November 26, 2018: At approximately 1:30 a.m., police say Franklin was speeding down the Parkway south, while driving a 2018 Dodge Charger. She was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time, and rear-ended a 2009 Nissan Rogue in the area of Woodbridge Township, the prosecutor said.

The impact of hitting the Nissan caused Franklin's car to strike a guard rail and tree, and then overturn. Her two passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Smith, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Isabella Rosales, 20, also of Middletown, was ejected as well, and she was seriously injured. Franklin was not ejected, but she was seriously injured in the crash as well. Both she and Rosales were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick.

Smith is from the Belford section of Middletown; she had just graduated from Middletown High School North this past June, according to her obituary. She had been very active in the Middletown Pop Warner cheerleader program for many years and traveled all over for cheer competitions, her obituary read.

Her friends, many of them Middletown high school students, set up a tribute page set up in her honor on Facebook.

"You were taken way too early!," wrote one friend.

"Nicole, this isn't real. I was just talking to you hours ago," wrote another. "Please come home, please tell me this isn't real. I love you so much ... please come home."

The driver of the Nissan was not injured.

Franklin will lose her license for five years upon her release from prison.

Past Patch reporting of this crash:

Middletown Woman, 18, Killed In Parkway Crash Monday

Middletown Mourns Teen Killed In Alleged DUI

Middletown Woman Charged With DUI In Death Of Her Friend

Fatal Accident On Garden State Parkway In Woodbridge: Police