Manchester Man Gets 8-Year Jail Sentence In DWI Crash That Killed Police Officer From Point Pleasant

The Manchester man who was convicted of driving drunk in the Thanksgiving 2010 Garden State Parkway crash that killed beloved Ocean Gate Patrolman Jason Marles as he was headed home to Point Pleasant after working a drunk driving detail has been sentenced to eight years in state prison, authorities said.

Erick P. Uzcategui, 34, of Manchester, must serve 85 percent of the sentence -- at least six years, nine months -- before he is eligible for parole, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, in a news release.

Uzcategui was convicted in July of vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Marles, who was headed to his home after working an overtime shift patrolling for drunk drivers.

The trial was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecutors Pat Sheehan and Michael Weatherstone, with assistance from the Ocean County Major Crimes Unit. Det. David Margentino from the Ocean County Fatal Accident Unit investigated the case. Sgt. Matt Rezukas of the New Jersey State Police provided additional critical evidence regarding the crash, Della Fave said.

Uzcategui had been out on $250,000 bail since December 2010, Della Fave said. He will be remanded to New Jersey State Prison to serve his sentence.