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

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An 18-year-old from Toms River has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with a Manchester crash that killed a Brick Township teen in April, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

Kailyn Gorga, 18, surrendered at Manchester Township Police headquarters on Friday, accompanied by her attorney, to face charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto in the crash that killed Catalina Reinoso, 18 of Brick, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Gorga was drunk and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the April 14 crash, Billhimer said.

Manchester police were called to the crash site on Lacey Road in the Whiting section shortly before 3 a.m. on April 14 and found a 2008 Mazda 3 had hit a center median on the road and overturned, the prosecutor's office said.

Photos posted to social media at the time of the crash showed the car had smashed the sign in front of the Manchester Township EMS building.

Reinoso and John Winkowski, 19, of Brick, were among five passengers in the car; they were in the back seat and both were injured, Billhimer said.

Reinoso was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment but was declared brain dead on April 20, and her organs were donated to save the lives of nine people, her family said. Read more: Brick Teen Dies Of Injuries Suffered In Manchester Crash, Family Says

Winkowski also was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center and later was released from the hospital, the prosecutor's office said. Gorga and the other three passengers were treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center for minor injuries and released, they said.

Gorga’s blood was drawn pursuant to a court-authorized warrant after the crash, Billhimer said, and laboratory results showed her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to be .099 percent; a driver is presumed to be over the legal limit with a BAC of .08 or greater.

The lab results additionally showed Gorga had an active THC (marijuana) level of 4 nanograms (ng) with a metabolite THC level of 47 ng, the prosecutor's office said.

Gorga is being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit -Vehicular Homicide Squad, Manchester Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit collaborated on the investigation.