Former NJ police officer sentenced for 2023 deaths due to Driving While Intoxicated

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Amitoj Oberoi, a former New Jersey police officer was sentenced August 14, 2024, in the death of two victims of a car crash. Superior Court Judge Jonathan W. Romankow sentenced Oberoi to two concurrent terms of 15 years in prison, news reports said.

Oberoi, 30, of Somerset, New Jersey pleaded guilty on June 18, 2024, to two counts of first-degree Vehicular Homicide committed Driving While Intoxicated. before Judge Romankow, according to a June 25, press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office (SCPO)

The guilty pleas made in June exposed defendant Oberoi to a prison term of 15 years with 85% to be served without eligibility for parole pursuant to the No Early Release Act, and Judge Ramankow awarded him the maximum sentence.

​The charges and the sentence are a result of a motor vehicle crash that occurred on August 27, 2023, at about 6:22 a.m., on Route 27 in Franklin Township, NJ.

The high speed, drunk driving crash resulted in the deaths of victims Carlos Perez-Gaytan, age 24, of Somerset, N.J., and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, age 20, of North Brunswick, N.J., who were passengers in the vehicle driven by Oberoi.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor John R. Ascione. The investigation was conducted by the Franklin Township Police Department, including Traffic Safety Unit Officers Ryan Ellington and Andre Tirado, as well as the late Detective Gregory Wilson, members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team, including Lt. William Pauli (ret.) and Sgt. Christopher Rokicki (ret.), and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, including Detective John Dugan.

Oberoi had three passengers in his Audi when he lost control while driving at high speed.

The August 30, 2023 press release from the SCPO Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and other senior officials, said that on arriving at the scene of the single car motor-vehicle crash on Somerset Street (Route 27) near Voorhees Avenue, Somerset, New Jersey, responding Officers along with Emergency Medical, and Rescue-Fire personnel initiated life-saving measures on the occupants of the vehicle.

Oberoi, who was then employed as an Edison Police Officer was off-duty at the time of the crash, was transported to an area trauma center via ambulance with undisclosed injuries sustained from the crash. One of the three passengers sustained minor injuries, and refused medical attention at the scene. The two others were pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutor McDonald stated that the investigation revealed that Oberoi “while operating the

2007 Audi Q7 southbound on Somerset Street at a high rate of speed lost control of the vehicle

causing the vehicle to leave the roadway striking several trees, lamp posts and a utility pole upon coming to rest.”

The investigation revealed that Oberoi was over the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (B.A.C.) limit at the time of incident, the SCPO press release said.