By: Richard L. Smith
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald has confirmed the apprehension of Amitoj Oberoi, a 29-year-old resident of Somerset, New Jersey.
According to Prosecutor McDonald, the incident took place on Sunday, August 27, 2023, around 6:22 a.m., when the Franklin Township Police responded to a single-car motor vehicle crash on Somerset Street (Route 27), near Voorhees Avenue, Somerset, New Jersey.
Upon arrival, responding officers, alongside Emergency Medical and Rescue-Fire personnel, immediately initiated life-saving measures for the vehicle's occupants.
Amitoj Oberoi, who serves as an Edison Police Officer and was off-duty at the time of the accident, was operating a 2007 Audi Q7. Oberoi sustained undisclosed injuries from the crash and was transported via ambulance to a nearby trauma center.
As of now, he remains in stable condition and is anticipated to make a full recovery.
The vehicle had three additional passengers:
- Passenger #1, a 29-year-old male Highland Park resident, experienced minor injuries and opted not to receive medical attention on-site.
- Passenger #2, identified as Carlos A. Perez-Gaytan, a 24-year-old male Somerset resident seated in the right rear, was tragically ejected from the vehicle during the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Passenger #3, Victor Cabrera-Francisco, a 20-year-old male North Brunswick resident seated in the left rear, was trapped within the vehicle upon impact. Unfortunately, the crash resulted in fatal injuries, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Prosecutor McDonald shared that the investigation revealed Oberoi was operating the 2007 Audi Q7 at a high speed southbound on Somerset Street when he lost control of the vehicle.
This caused the car to leave the road, colliding with multiple trees, lamp posts, and a utility pole before coming to a stop. In response, Franklin Township Patrol Officers, Traffic Safety Officers, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team (CART), and the Major Crimes Unit collaborated to conduct a thorough investigation.
The inquiry disclosed that Amitoj Oberoi had exceeded the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (B.A.C.) limit during the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, and none of the other occupants were law enforcement officers.
Prosecutor McDonald further revealed that on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, along with counterparts from the Franklin Township Police, executed a criminal complaint warrant for defendant Amitoj Oberoi.
He is now facing charges of two counts of first-degree Vehicular Homicide.
