Woman dies in fiery Parkway crash, NJ driver faces DWI, vehicular homicide
🚨 A Long Branch man faces a vehicular homicide charge in a Parkway crash that killed his passenger.
⚠️ Investigators accuse 24-year-old Kelvin Gomez-Fuentes of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs before the pickup overturned and caught fire.
❤️ Katherine Andrade-Portillo, 27, was remembered as a hardworking woman who brought kindness and joy to those around her.
FREEHOLD – A 24-year-old Long Branch man has been arrested and charged in connection with a DUI single-vehicle crash along the Parkway that killed his passenger earlier this year.
Kelvin Gomez-Fuentes, is charged with second-degree vehicular homicide in the death of 27-year-old Katherine Andrade-Portillo, also of Long Branch.
Driver was ticketed for DWI, loose cannabis, reckless driving
Gomez-Fuentes was previously ticketed for the following offenses: driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, unsafe lane change, delaying traffic, damage or defacing of roadway, unsafe operation of motor vehicle, failure to obey traffic signs or signals, failure to keep right, failure to exhibit insurance, failure to exhibit documents, and possession of unsealed container of cannabis.
State Police responded around 4 a.m. on May 17 to the Garden State Parkway Express southbound lanes, near milepost 108, in Tinton Falls, to find the fiery crash of a Toyota Tacoma driven by Gomez-Fuentes.
Investigators have now accused Gomez-Fuentes of being drunk and possibly high at the wheel of his pickup, hitting multiple objects before flipping over and catching on fire.
Andrade-Portillo was pronounced dead at the scene, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.
Read More: NJ man is charged with causing crash that killed Rutgers student
Victim remembered for her kindness
“Katherine was a loving, hardworking, and beautiful person who always brought joy, love, and kindness to those around her. She will be remembered for her big heart, her dedication, and the light she brought into every place she went,” according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by a friend, Edward Hernandez, for the victims' parents and sister.
The victim worked at Don Beto’s, a Salvadoran restaurant in Long Branch, just two blocks from Pier Village, where she “ built genuine friendships and left a lasting impact on many people in her community,” Hernandez said.
Man surrendered to State Police
Gomez-Fuentes was charged earlier this week and surrendered at the State Police barracks in Holmdel.
He was taken to Monmouth County Jail, pending a first appearance in Monmouth County Superior Court.
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