FREEHOLD — A Monmouth County grand jury has indicted a Brick Township man accused of causing a deadly wrong-way collision on the Garden State Parkway that claimed the life of a Paterson woman last year, Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced.
Deryn R. Gomez, 24, is charged with second-degree vehicular homicide in connection with the crash, which occurred October 26, 2024, in the southbound lanes near milepost 102.8 in Tinton Falls.
Investigators said Gomez was driving a 2013 Honda Accord north in the southbound roadway when he collided head-on with a 2002 Honda Civic driven by 28-year-old Priscilla Gladden-Pertuz. She died at the scene. A third vehicle, a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta, struck the wreckage moments later, though that driver survived.
State Police detectives and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau determined Gomez had been traveling the wrong way before impact. He later received summonses for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and traveling against traffic.
The case is being handled by Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin J. Sidley. Gomez is represented by attorney John J. Bruno of Rutherford.
Authorities emphasized that Gomez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
