Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said that a South River woman has pleaded guilty today in causing the death of a 49-year old man from North Brunswick while driving while intoxicated.
According to authorities, Phyllis Kocheran, 52, of South River, pleaded guilty to one count of second degree vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated for striking and causing the death of William Oross on May 3rd.
Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Keith Abrams, Kocheran will be sentenced to a prison term of 6 years for striking and killing William Oross. This term is subject to the No Early Release Act. As such, the defendant will have to serve 85 percent of her prison term before becoming eligible for parole.
Officials say Kocheran is scheduled to be sentenced in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Michael Toto on October 2nd.
The defendant was arrested and charged following an investigation by Detective Joseph Guiamano of the South River Police Department and Detective Mark Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
The investigation determined that Kocheran while driving her blue 2011 Jeep Wrangler on Pulawski Avenue on May 3rd at 11:17 in the morning was highly intoxicated when she struck William Oross who was working for a private recycling company at the time he was struck.
Authorities say he was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was pronounced dead from the blunt force injuries he sustained from being hit by her Jeep.