Long Branch Man Charged With DWI In Fatal Crash That Killed Female Passenger

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A Long Branch man was arrested this week and charged with vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and other charges after police say he caused the death of a woman in his car.

The fatal crash happened in May on the Garden State Parkway:

Shortly before 4:00 a.m. on May 17, State Police responded to the Parkway express southbound lanes, near milepost 108 (Tinton Falls) to find a single-vehicle collision involving a Toyota Tacoma.

The Toyota Tacoma was driven by Kelvin Gomez-Fuentes, 24, of Long Branch.

Police say Gomez-Fuentes was driving the Tacoma under the influence of intoxicating substances when his car left the roadway, striking multiple objects before overturning and becoming engulfed in flames.

His passenger in the car, Katherine Andrade-Portillo, 27, also of Long Branch, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.

Arriving officers said they found an open container of marijuana in the car. He also failed to show insurance information and other legal documents to police when they got to the scene, said the prosecutor.

Gomez-Fuentes is charged with second-degree vehicular homicide. He surrendered this week to NJ State Police at the State Police barracks in Holmdel and is currently being held at the Monmouth County jail.

He was previously charged with the motor vehicle traffic offenses of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, unsafe lane change, delaying traffic, unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, failure to keep right, failure to exhibit insurance, failure to exhibit documents and possession of unsealed container of cannabis, among other motor vehicle offense.

The death of Andrade-Portillo was investigated by New Jersey State Police Criminal Investigative Office and the State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, assisted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Fatal Accident Unit.