2 Sentenced In Street Race Crash That Killed South Brunswick Teen

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Two South Brunswick teens were sentenced for their involvement in the January 2022 street race crash that killed high school senior, Diana Somarriba, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of Edison Police Department said.

Daniel Girgis, 18, of Dayton and Tyler Dickerson, 19, of Monmouth Junction were sentenced on Aug. 17, by Superior Court Judge Andrea G. Carter.

Girgis was sentenced to three years subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) for second-degree vehicular homicide. The Judge sentenced Tyler Dickerson to 364 days in the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center as a condition of 4 years of probation for fourth-degree assault-by-auto.

On January 20, 2022, Edison Police responded to a report of an accident on Route 1 South and Fox Road.

On arrival officers found two vehicles driven by Dickerson and Girgis that were involved in a high-speed race which resulted in Girgis crashing his vehicle into a vacant building, killing Somarriba, 18, a passenger in his vehicle, Ciccone said.

According to investigation, Dickerson and Girgis met in Edison for a pre-arranged street race on Route 1. During that race, Girgis lost control of his vehicle and crashed while driving in excess of 100 miles per hour, Ciccone said. Girgis and another passenger, E.M., sustained minor injuries while Somarriba was killed.

On June 20, 2022, the Jurisdiction of the Family Court was waived to the criminal court where Girgis would be prosecuted as an adult. On January 13, 2023, Girgis pled guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, and on March 16, 2023, Dickerson pled guilty to fourth-degree assault-by-auto.

Somarriba was a senior at South Brunswick High School. She had plans of joining the army, according to a family member. She was described as a "generous, goofy and amazing person."

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