By: Richard L. Smith
A Wall Township man has been sentenced to four and a half years in state prison for his involvement in a tragic motor vehicle collision that resulted in the death of an 82-year-old resident of Brick Township.
Monmouth County reported this development on Tuesday.
The defendant, Mr. Nolan T. Dickson, aged 28, must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Officials said this stipulation aligns with New Jersey's No Early Release Act (NERA) provisions and was determined during a recent hearing presided over by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn.
The fatal incident occurred around 10:09 a.m. on Sunday, June 27, 2021, prompting a response from the Wall Township Police Department to the area of State Highway 35 and Lakewood Road.
Officers arrived to find an unfortunate head-on collision involving three vehicles.
One of the vehicles was occupied by 82-year-old Mr. Paul Yuro, a resident of Brick Township, who was trapped inside.
Monmouth County officials said Mr. Yuro was extricated from his vehicle and rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injuries he sustained and passed away.
The subsequent investigation, led by Wall Township Patrolman Megan Alexander, Sergeant Andrew Baldino, and Captain Chad Clark, with the assistance of the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), determined that Mr. Dickson had been operating his 2017 BMW 430i in the southbound lane of State Highway 35 when he veered into the northbound lane, colliding with Mr. Yuro's 2013 Toyota Camry.
Further examination revealed that Mr. Dickson was returning home from a casino in Atlantic City at the time of the collision.
Officials said ingesting oxycodone, alprazolam, codeine, and marijuana had influenced his actions.
On Monday, May 8, 2023, Mr. Dickson pleaded guilty to a second-degree charge of Vehicular Homicide, which was to be treated as a third-degree offense for sentencing purposes, following consultations with the victim's family.