By: Richard L. Smith
Middlesex County authorities announced today that 18-year-old Manuel Centeno-Rodriguez of North Brunswick has been sentenced to prison in connection with a fatal traffic collision that occurred last December.
Prosecutor Ciccone said in the statement that the crash, which took place on December 19, 2023, resulted in the death of 69-year-old Silverio Castro-Martinez of New Brunswick.
The incident unfolded early in the morning at around 6:32 AM at the intersection of Route 130 and Renaissance Boulevard.
Authorities arrived at the scene to find that a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by the unlicensed Centeno-Rodriguez, had rear-ended a Volkswagen Golf that was stopped in traffic.
The collision pushed the Volkswagen into an Acura RDX in front of it. Castro-Martinez, a rear passenger in the Volkswagen, was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital due to injuries sustained in the crash.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Ciccone said an investigation by Officer William Bonura of the North Brunswick Police Department and Detective Matthew Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the sequence of events.
Two other passengers in the Volkswagen sustained serious injuries, while a third suffered minor injuries.
All were treated at the same hospital.
On March 18, 2024, Centeno-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second-degree Vehicular Homicide and two counts of fourth-degree Assault by Auto.
He was sentenced on May 3, 2024, by Judge Craig L. Corson, J.S.C., to three years in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act (NERA), requiring him to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutor Ciccone said this sentence runs concurrently with a 12-month sentence for each Assault by Auto charge.
Following his prison term, Centeno-Rodriguez will be under parole supervision for three years.
This case highlights the severe consequences of driving without a license and underscores the importance of adhering to traffic laws to ensure public safety.