LAVALLETTE – A Lavallette driver has been sentenced to eight years in state prison after hitting an senior citizen while driving with several drugs in his system.
Brian Kosanke, 39, of Lavallette, had previously pled guilty to the charges of Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution and Driving While Intoxicated.
On October 19, 2019, Thomas Castronovo, 80, of Warren, was struck near the corner of Route 35 North and Guyer Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Lavallette Police Officers and first responders administered lifesaving measures but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
An investigation revealed that Kosanke was driving northbound on Route 35 when he hit Castronovo as he was crossing at Guyer Avenue.
According to Kosanke’s blood test, he was under the influence of Xanax, cocaine, morphine, fentanyl and gabapentin. Kosanke was arrested on November 7, 2019 and was lodged in the Ocean County Jail.
On February 4, Ocean County First Assistant Prosecutor Michael T. Nolan, Jr., announced that Kosanke was sentenced to eight years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) for Vehicular Homicide. He was also sentenced to 18 months in for Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution. Both sentences will run concurrently.
In addition, Kosanke was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment for Driving While Intoxicated along with a three-month loss of his driving privileges and installation of an ignition interlock device in Kosanke’s car for one year, following the completion of his state prison sentence.
Nolan commends the efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Sheehan and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Schron who handled the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Lavallette Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their cooperative assistance in connection with this investigation resulting in Kosanke’s apprehension, guilty pleas and now his state prison sentence.
