Toms River Woman Pleads Guilty In Fatal 2024 Rollover Crash That Killed Brick Teen

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River woman has pleaded guilty in a drunken crash that killed a Brick Township woman in Manchester in 2024.

Kailyn Gorga, 20, pleaded guilty on Friday before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch to vehicular homicide and assault by auto in the crash that killed Catalina Reinoso, 18, of Brick, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Monday.

Gorga was driving a 2008 Mazda 3 south on Lacey Road in Manchester shortly before 3 a.m. on April 14, 2024, when she hit a curbed median, authorities have said. She over-corrected her steering and the car overturned and hit the sign in front of the Manchester Township annex building on Lacey Road.

Reinoso was sitting in the back seat along with John Winkowski, 19, of Brick Township, Cameron Sparmo, 19, of Toms River, and Peter Myslinski, 19, of Toms River, and Gorga also had a front-seat passenger, Tyler Beaulieu, 18, of Beachwood, authorities said.

Reinoso was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious injuries, and did not survive. She was declared brain dead on April 20, and her organs were donated to save the lives of nine people, her family said.

The other passengers and Gorga also were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where they were treated and released, authorities said.

At the hospital, a draw of Gorga's blood was taken under a court-authorized warrant, the prosecutor's office said.

Laboratory results on the blood draw showed Gorga had a blood alcohol concentration of .099 percent, above the .08 percent level where a driver is considered intoxicated under New Jersey law, the prosecutor's office said. She also had an active THC (marijuana) level of 4 nanograms (ng) with a Metabolite THC level of 47 ng, the prosecutor's office said.

New Jersey does not yet have a legal standard set for THC levels.

Gorga surrendered to Manchester police on May 31, 2024, and was taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River then released under bail reform rules.

Gorga is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23, and the prosecutor's office will be seeking a term of 7 years in state prison on the vehicular homicide charge, subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires the person to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. She also is expected to be sentenced to 4 years in prison on the assault-by-auto charge, with the sentences to be served concurrently, the prosecutor's office said.

Previous reporting:

Toms River Teen Charged With Vehicular Homicide In Manchester Crash That Killed Brick Teen

Brick Teen Dies Of Injuries Suffered In Manchester Crash, Family Says