By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Middlesex County reported that on Thursday, August 17, 2023, Daniel Girgis, 18, of Dayton, and Tyler Dickerson, 19, of Monmouth Junction, were sentenced for their involvement in a January 20, 2022, street race that resulted in a fatal crash.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said on January 20, 2022, Edison Police responded to a report of an accident on Route 1 South and Fox Road.
According to officials, upon their arrival, officers located two vehicles driven by Tyler Dickerson and Daniel Girgis that were involved in a high-speed race that resulted in Girgis crashing his vehicle into a vacant building, killing Diana Somarriba, 18, of South Brunswick, a passenger in his vehicle.
The investigation conducted by Detective Matthew Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Captain Dominic Masi of the Edison Police revealed that Dickerson and Girgis met in Edison for a pre-arranged street race on Route 1.
Officials said during that race, Girgis lost control of his vehicle and crashed while driving in excess of 100 miles per hour.
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 Daniel Girgis would be prosecuted as an adult, officials say.
According to Middlesex County officials, 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.
On August 17, 2023, Superior Court Judge Andrea G. Carter, J.S.C., sentenced Girgis to three years subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) for the crime of second-degree Vehicular Homicide, officials said.
Authorities say 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.