Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Mark Tinitigan of the South River Police Department announced that two additional counts were filed on May 11th against a South River woman who was charged in the death of a 49-year old North Brunswick man.
According to authorities, Phyllis Kocheran, 52, of South River, is now charged with reckless manslaughter in the second degree and vehicular homicide in the second degree. In addition, she was also charged with driving while intoxicated for striking and killing the pedestrian on Pulawski Avenue at approximately 11:17 a.m. on May 3rd.
Officials said William Oross, 49, of North Brunswick was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was pronounced dead from blunt force injuries he sustained from being struck by the vehicle.
According to authorities, Kocheran is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center pending a Detention Hearing scheduled for today in New Brunswick.
An investigation by Detective Joseph Guiamano of the South River Police Department and Detective Mark Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that the victim was working for a private recycling company at the time he was struck.
The investigation is active and is continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Guiamano at (732) 238-1000, or Detective Morris (732) 745-4194.
As in the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Kocheran are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Photo: Obituary